Sample records for early elementary students

  1. Early Elementary Students' Understanding of Complex Ecosystems: A Learning Progression Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hokayem, Hayat; Gotwals, Amelia Wenk

    2016-01-01

    Engaging in systemic reasoning about ecological issues is critical for early elementary students to develop future understanding of critical environmental issues such as global warming and loss of biodiversity. However, ecological issues are rarely taught in ways to highlight systemic reasoning in elementary schools. In this study, we conducted…

  2. The Influence of Student Characteristics on Early Elementary Oral Reading Fluency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Dijk, Wilhelmina

    2018-01-01

    Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) is a widely-used index of reading ability in early elementary grades; however, little information exists on predictive value of student characteristics on ORF scores (Wang, Algozzine, Ma, & Porfeli, 2011). A three-step sequential model was used to analyze the influence of student characteristics on scores (N = 2649)…

  3. Teacher Attunement: Supporting Students' Peer Experiences in the Early Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Abigail S.

    2012-01-01

    This multi-method, longitudinal study examines the role of teacher attunement (teacher accuracy in identifying the peer group memberships of individual students) in children's peer experiences in early elementary classrooms (1st-3rd grades). Social cognitive mapping (SCM) procedures assessed and compared students' and teachers'…

  4. Preparing Elementary Prospective Teachers to Teach Early Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hohensee, Charles

    2017-01-01

    Researchers have argued that integrating early algebra into elementary grades will better prepare students for algebra. However, currently little research exists to guide teacher preparation programs on how to prepare prospective elementary teachers to teach early algebra. This study examines the insights and challenges that prospective teachers…

  5. Investigating teacher and student effects of the Incredible Years Classroom Management Program in early elementary school.

    PubMed

    Murray, Desiree W; Rabiner, David L; Kuhn, Laura; Pan, Yi; Sabet, Raha Forooz

    2018-04-01

    The present paper reports on the results of a cluster randomized trial of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management Program (IY-TCM) and its effects on early elementary teachers' management strategies, classroom climate, and students' emotion regulation, attention, and academic competence. IY-TCM was implemented in 11 rural and semi-rural schools with K-2 teachers and a diverse student sample. Outcomes were compared for 45 teachers who participated in five full day training workshops and brief classroom consultation and 46 control teachers; these 91 teachers had a total of 1192 students. A high level of teacher satisfaction was found and specific aspects of the training considered most valuable for early elementary teachers were identified. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated a statistically significant intervention effect on Positive Climate in the classroom (d=0.45) that did not sustain into the next school year. No main effects on student outcomes were observed, although a priori moderator analyses indicated that students with elevated social-behavioral difficulties benefitted with regard to prosocial behavior (d=0.54) and inattention (d=-0.34). Results highlight potential benefits and limitations of a universal teacher training program for elementary students, and suggest strategies for future delivery of the IY-TCM program and areas for future research. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Astrophysics for Early Elementary Students and Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, R.

    2004-12-01

    How can very young students be taught astrophysics? What can we offer to teachers of K-4 students? Whether you deal directly with youngsters in classrooms, work with your School of Education to develop science inquiry training, or offer occasional general outreach, we discuss activities your program can adopt from the University of Oregon's Electronic Universe outreach program. This collaboration through NASA's Oregon Space Grant plus citizen amateur astronomers has been successfully delivering astrophysics to students in all grades throughout Oregon for over a decade. Students in grades K-4 are generally very enthusiastic learners who have a lot of interest in content and technology about space. Unfortunately typical curricula, state learning requirements, and typical training of their teachers is usually very simplistic and often contains erroneous and outdated materials. We'll work through a series of explorations designed for elementary level that use digital data and virtual reality simulations in conjunction with kinesthetic activities to connect observations such as brightness, shadows, motions, shapes, and colors to basic physical characteristics and properties. This is the starting place where we can grab already curious students and inspire teachers, particularly new teachers, to use space science content to develop science inquiry based curricula. Young students and their teachers can handle astrophysics if the topics are presented in familiar terms and with use of sufficient first hand modeling. Don't be afraid to start them early on these topics, this could dispel myths, generate future interest, and promote careers in science.

  7. Early Identification and Interventions for Elementary Students at Risk of Not Succeeding in School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yungmann, Janet

    This project described methods of early identification and implementation of various interventions used to increase achievement of students at risk in grades three, four, and five at John D. Floyd Elementary School in Spring Hill, Florida. The 51 children who qualified for and were enrolled in the dropout prevention program had achievement scores…

  8. The Early Elementary Attendance Project. Final Report on First Two Years.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frank, Marilyn; MacPherson, Douglas

    The purpose of the Early Elementary Attendance Project was to improve school attendance in the early grades (kindergarten and first grade) in order to develop good attendance habits that would continue through the post elementary grades. A home/school worker approached families of students (N=77) with poor attendance records with a helping…

  9. Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers. Practice Guide Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2017

    2017-01-01

    An early foundation in writing offers students a valuable tool for learning, communication, and self-expression. Authored by a panel of experts, the "Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers" practice guide presents four recommendations educators can use to help elementary students strengthen their writing skills. The…

  10. Measuring student engagement among elementary students: pilot of the Student Engagement Instrument--Elementary Version.

    PubMed

    Carter, Chandra P; Reschly, Amy L; Lovelace, Matthew D; Appleton, James J; Thompson, Dianne

    2012-06-01

    Early school withdrawal, commonly referred to as dropout, is associated with a plethora of negative outcomes for students, schools, and society. Student engagement, however, presents as a promising theoretical model and cornerstone of school completion interventions. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Student Engagement Instrument-Elementary Version (SEI-E). The psychometric properties of this measure were assessed based on the responses of an ethnically diverse sample of 1,943 students from an urban locale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 4-factor model of student engagement provided the best fit for the current data, which is divergent from previous SEI studies suggesting 5- and 6-factor models. Discussion and implications of these findings are presented in the context of student engagement and dropout prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. A Learning Progression for Elementary Students' Functional Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Ana C.; Fonger, Nicole; Strachota, Susanne; Isler, Isil; Blanton, Maria; Knuth, Eric; Murphy Gardiner, Angela

    2017-01-01

    In this article we advance characterizations of and supports for elementary students' progress in generalizing and representing functional relationships as part of a comprehensive approach to early algebra. Our learning progressions approach to early algebra research involves the coordination of a curricular framework and progression, an…

  12. Benefits of Systematic and Explicit Phonics Instruction with Early Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    Eighteen students in a Southern Suburban first grade class will participate in this case study. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of Saxon Phonics instruction in increasing reading achievement in elementary students. Students will take part in focus groups where they discuss books they read and why they enjoy reading…

  13. Manipulative Use and Elementary School Students' Mathematics Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uribe-Flórez, Lida J.; Wilkins, Jesse L. M.

    2017-01-01

    Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) 1998/1999, we examine the relationship between elementary students' (K-5) manipulative use and mathematics learning. Using a cross-sectional correlational analysis, we found no relationship between manipulative use and student mathematics "achievement". However, using a…

  14. Iteration in Early-Elementary Engineering Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McFarland Kendall, Amber Leigh

    K-12 standards and curricula are beginning to include engineering design as a key practice within Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. However, there is little research on how the youngest students engage in engineering design within the elementary classroom. This dissertation focuses on iteration as an essential aspect of engineering design, and because research at the college and professional level suggests iteration improves the designer's understanding of problems and the quality of design solutions. My research presents qualitative case studies of students in kindergarten and third-grade as they engage in classroom engineering design challenges which integrate with traditional curricula standards in mathematics, science, and literature. I discuss my results through the lens of activity theory, emphasizing practices, goals, and mediating resources. Through three chapters, I provide insight into how early-elementary students iterate upon their designs by characterizing the ways in which lesson design impacts testing and revision, by analyzing the plan-driven and experimentation-driven approaches that student groups use when solving engineering design challenges, and by investigating how students attend to constraints within the challenge. I connect these findings to teacher practices and curriculum design in order to suggest methods of promoting iteration within open-ended, classroom-based engineering design challenges. This dissertation contributes to the field of engineering education by providing evidence of productive engineering practices in young students and support for the value of engineering design challenges in developing students' participation and agency in these practices.

  15. Developing Creative Behavior in Elementary School Students with Robotics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nemiro, Jill; Larriva, Cesar; Jawaharlal, Mariappan

    2017-01-01

    The School Robotics Initiative (SRI), a problem-based robotics program for elementary school students, was developed with the objective of reaching students early on to instill an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math disciplines. The purpose of this exploratory, observational study was to examine how the SRI fosters student…

  16. Measuring Students' Emotions in the Early Years: The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School (AEQ-ES)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Pekrun, Reinhard; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Reiss, Kristina; Murayama, Kou

    2012-01-01

    This article reports about the development and validation of a measurement instrument assessing elementary school students' achievement emotions (Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School, AEQ-ES). Specifically, the instrument assesses students' enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom pertaining to three types of academic settings (i.e.,…

  17. Impact of a Reading Program on Rural Elementary School Students' Oral Reading Fluency and Early Literacy Skill Acquisition and Rate of Improvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Christina

    2013-01-01

    This program evaluation is a study of the effectiveness of a core reading program, Journeys, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), on the early literacy skills and oral reading fluency (ORF) of kindergarten through second grade students in a rural elementary school. The scores of the students in the experimental group were compared to scores of…

  18. Teacher Roles of Questioning in Early Elementary Science Classrooms: A Framework Promoting Student Cognitive Complexities in Argumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Ying-Chih; Hand, Brian; Norton-Meier, Lori

    2017-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the various roles that early elementary teachers adopt when questioning, to scaffold dialogic interaction and students' cognitive responses for argumentative practices over time. Teacher questioning is a pivotal contributing factor that shapes the role teachers play in promoting dialogic interaction in argumentative practice and that different roles serve different functions for promoting students' conceptual understanding. The multiple-case study was designed as a follow-up study after a 4-year professional development program that emphasized an argument-based inquiry approach. Data sources included 30 lessons focusing on whole class discussion from three early elementary teachers' classes. Data were analyzed through two approaches: (1) constant comparative method and (2) enumerative approach. This study conceptualized four critical roles of teacher questioning—dispenser, moderator, coach, and participant—in light of the ownership of ideas and activities. The findings revealed two salient changes in teachers' use of questions and the relationships between teachers' question-asking and students' cognitive responses: (1) teachers increasingly used multiple roles in establishing argumentative discourse as they persistently implemented an argument-based inquiry approach, and (2) as teachers used multiple roles in establishing patterns of questioning and framing classroom interactions, higher levels of student cognitive responses were promoted. This study suggests that an essential component of teacher professional development should include the study of the various roles that teachers can play when questioning for establishing dialogic interaction in argumentation and that this development should consist of ongoing training with systematic support.

  19. Elementary GLOBE: Inquiring About the Earth System Through Elementary Student Investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henderson, S.; Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L.; Gallagher, S.

    2006-12-01

    Elementary GLOBE was designed to introduce K-4 students to the study of Earth System Science (ESS). Elementary GLOBE forms an instructional unit comprised of five modules that address ESS and interrelated subjects including weather, hydrology, seasons, and soils. Each Elementary GLOBE module contains a science based storybook, classroom learning activities that complement the science content covered in each book, and teacher's notes. The storybooks explore a component of the Earth system and the associated classroom learning activities provide students with a meaningful introduction to technology, a basic understanding of the methods of inquiry, and connection to math and literacy skills. The science content in the books and activities serves as a springboard to GLOBE's scientific protocols. All Elementary GLOBE materials are freely downloadable (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe) The use of science storybooks with elementary students has proven to be an effective practice in exposing students to science content while providing opportunities for students to improve their reading, writing, and oral communication skills. The Elementary GLOBE storybooks portray kids asking questions about the natural world, doing science investigations, and exploring the world around them. Through the storybook characters, scientific inquiry is modeled for young learners. The associated learning activities provide opportunities for students to practice science inquiry and investigation skills, including observation, recording, measuring, etc. Students also gain exposure and increase their comfort with different tools that scientists use. The learning activities give students experiences with asking questions, conducting scientific investigations, and scientific journaling. Elementary GLOBE fills an important niche in K-4 instruction. The international GLOBE Program brings together students, teachers, and scientists with the basic goals of increasing scientific understanding of the Earth

  20. Early Reading Programs in High-Poverty Schools: Emerald Elementary Beats the Odds.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Charles; Adler, Martha A.

    This report describes the early reading program in Emerald Elementary School, located in a Midwest urban fringe district. From 1996 through 1998, Emerald's students performed well above the district average or near the state average on reading achievement. During this period, the school had at least half of its students eligible for free or…

  1. Younger Elementary Students Waste More School Lunch Foods than Older Elementary Students

    PubMed Central

    Niaki, Shahrbanou F.; Moore, Carolyn E.; Chen, Tzu-An

    2016-01-01

    Background Children may not receive the nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. Objective This study investigated whether there were differences in school lunch foods consumed and wasted by grade level of elementary school students. Design In this cross-sectional study, anonymous meal observations were conducted after students selected their reimbursable school lunch meals in the cafeteria lunch line. The amount of foods selected and consumed was recorded using the quarter waste method and food waste was calculated using the information recorded. Participants/setting During the spring of 2013, eight elementary schools (50% low income) enrolling children in kindergarten through grade 5 in one school district in the Houston, Texas area were selected by the Child Nutrition Director. Main outcome measures The amount of kilocalories (kcal) and foods consumed and the percentage wasted were assessed. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and post hoc analysis were used to examine food consumption and plate waste by grade level [kindergarten and grade 1 (K-Gr1), grade 2 and 3 (Gr2-3) and grade four and five (Gr4-5)], controlling for student sex and school level free/reduced priced meal eligibility (FRP). Results There were 568 nonrandom lunch meal observations of students included in the analyses. Approximately 48% of the observations were from boys; 50% were from low income schools, and were evenly divided by grade. In general, students in K-Gr1 consumed fewer kcal than both Gr2-3 and Gr4-5 students, and Gr2-3 students consumed significantly fewer kcal than Gr4-5 students. K-Gr1 students also consumed less and wasted more total and red-orange vegetables, total/whole/refined grains, and total protein foods than the older students. Gr2-3 students wasted more calories and total grains than Gr4-5 students. K-Gr1 wasted more fruit than Gr2-3 students. Conclusions Overall, younger students in elementary schools

  2. Examining Multidimensional Middle Grade Outcomes after Early Elementary School Grade Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hwang, Sophia; Cappella, Elise; Schwartz, Kate

    2016-01-01

    Recently, researchers have begun to employ rigorous statistical methods and developmentally-informed theories to evaluate outcomes for students retained in non-kindergarten early elementary school. However, the majority of this research focuses on academic outcomes. Gaps remain regarding retention's effects on psychosocial outcomes important to…

  3. Early Childhood Musical Experiences: Contributing to Pre-Service Elementary Teachers's Self-Concept in Music and Success in Music Education (during Student Age)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruismaki, Heikki; Tereska, Tarja

    2006-01-01

    This article studies early childhood musical experiences of Finnish pre-service elementary teachers (N=590). The article also analyses their connections between musical self-concept at student age and musical progress in teacher education. Research material was gathered by a questionnaire, which posed retrospective questions about childhood as…

  4. Language Use in Real-time Interactions during Early Elementary Science Lessons: The Bidirectional Dynamics of the Language Complexity of Teachers and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Menninga, Astrid; van Dijk, Marijn; Steenbeek, Henderien; van Geert, Paul

    2017-01-01

    This study used a dynamic approach to explore bidirectional sequential relations between the real-time language use of teachers and students in naturalistic early elementary science lessons. It also compared experienced teachers (n = 22) with novice teachers (n = 8) with respect to such relations. Verbal interactions were transcribed and coded at…

  5. Patterns of Reasoning about Ecological Systemic Reasoning for Early Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hokayem, H.

    2016-01-01

    Systems and system models are recognized as a crosscutting concept in the newly released framework for K-12 science education (NRC [National Research Council], 2012). In previous work, I developed a learning progression for systemic reasoning in ecology at the elementary level. The learning progression captured five levels of students' reasoning…

  6. Teacher performance goal practices and elementary students' behavioral engagement: a developmental perspective.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Jan N; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G

    2011-02-01

    We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students' behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Collective Student Trust: A Social Resource for Urban Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Curt M.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if collective student trust functions as a resource for urban elementary students. Methods: Data from 1,646 students nested in 56 elementary schools in an urban school district were used to test the hypothesized effect of collective student trust on school identification, self-regulated…

  8. Early Elementary Performance and Attendance in Baltimore City Schools' Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connolly, Faith; Olson, Linda S.

    2012-01-01

    This study looks at attendance in the early grades of elementary school. In particular, the authors focus on students enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten (PreK) and Kindergarten (K). They follow these young students over several years to determine their pattern of chronic absence (CA), defined as missing more than one-ninth of days enrolled, and their…

  9. Massachusetts Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS). "Technical Descriptions of Risk Model Development": Early and Late Elementary Age Groupings (Grades 1-6)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2013

    2013-01-01

    The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) created the grades 1-12 Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) in response to district interest in the Early Warning Indicator Index (EWII) that the Department previously created for rising grade 9 students. Districts shared that the EWII data were helpful, but also…

  10. Military Deployment and Elementary Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phelps, Terri; Dunham, Mardis; Lyons, Robert

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated the impact that military deployment has upon academic achievement of elementary school students. TerraNova test scores of 137 fourth and fifth grade students in two elementary schools with a high proportion of military dependent children were examined for two consecutive years. Although the academic test performance fell…

  11. Effects of an iPad-Based Early Reading Intervention with Students with Complex Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucas, Kristin Goodwin

    2015-01-01

    Early reading literacy is foundational to all other academic learning. It is imperative that elementary students with and without disabilities be provided with evidence-based reading instruction. Elementary students with developmental disabilities (DD) and complex communication needs (CCN) benefit from evidence-based reading instruction that…

  12. Music Festivals for Early-Childhood Music Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leonard, Mary

    1994-01-01

    Maintains that many music education associations sponsor chorus or band festivals at the middle and high school levels, but meeting the needs of prekindergarten and primary students is a more challenging task. Describes a one-day music festival for early elementary children. (CFR)

  13. Examining How Activity Shapes Students' Interactions While Creating Representations in Early Elementary Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Danish, Joshua Adam; Saleh, Asmalina

    2014-01-01

    It is common practice in elementary science classrooms to have students create representations, such as drawings, as a way of exploring new content. While numerous studies suggest the benefits of representation in science, the majority focus on specific, canonical representations, such as graphs. Few offer insight or guidance regarding how…

  14. Elementary Students' Metaphors for Democracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dundar, Hakan

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the research was to reveal elementary 8th grade students' opinions concerning democracy with the aid of metaphors. The students were asked to produce metaphors about the concept of democracy. 140 students from 3 public schools in Ankara (Turkey) participated in the research. 55% of the students were females and 45% were males. The…

  15. Starting Early with Study Skills: A Week-By-Week Guide for Elementary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irvin, Judith L.; Rose, Elaine O.

    On the premise that even young students can learn to study effectively, this book provides a framework and activities for the systematic teaching of study skills during the elementary grades. The book is consistent with current research and theory about learning and remembering; concepts such as schema and metacognition pervade the suggested…

  16. An elective course to engage student pharmacists in elementary school science education.

    PubMed

    Woodard, Lisa J; Wilson, Judith S; Blankenship, James; Quock, Raymond M; Lindsey, Marti; Kinsler, Janni J

    2011-12-15

    To develop and assess the impact of an elective course (HealthWISE) on student pharmacists' skills in communication and health promotion and elementary school students' knowledge of and attitudes toward science. Three colleges and schools of pharmacy collaborated to develop a 1-credit elective course that used online and classroom teaching and learning techniques to prepare student pharmacists to teach science in elementary school classrooms. Student pharmacists delivered 6 science lessons to elementary students over the course of 2 months. In weekly journal reflections and a final paper, student pharmacists reported improved communication and health promotion skills. Elementary teachers reported they were satisfied with student pharmacists' performance in the classroom. On pretest and posttest evaluations, elementary students demonstrated increased science knowledge and enhanced enthusiasm for science following the lessons taught by student pharmacists. The HealthWISE elective course provided positive benefit for student pharmacists, elementary school teachers, and elementary students.

  17. The Effectiveness of English Teaching in Japanese Elementary Schools: Measured by Proficiency Tests Administered to Seventh-Year Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katsuyama, Hitomi; Nishigaki, Chikako; Wang, Jinfang

    2008-01-01

    The effectiveness of early English education was investigated in this study to determine if English should be taught formally in Japanese public elementary schools. We administered English tests and questionnaires to 1466 elementary school students in 2004 and 2005. The results showed significant differences between the…

  18. An Elective Course to Engage Student Pharmacists in Elementary School Science Education

    PubMed Central

    Wilson, Judith S.; Blankenship, James; Quock, Raymond M.; Lindsey, Marti; Kinsler, Janni J.

    2011-01-01

    Objective. To develop and assess the impact of an elective course (HealthWISE) on student pharmacists’ skills in communication and health promotion and elementary school students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward science. Design. Three colleges and schools of pharmacy collaborated to develop a 1-credit elective course that used online and classroom teaching and learning techniques to prepare student pharmacists to teach science in elementary school classrooms. Student pharmacists delivered 6 science lessons to elementary students over the course of 2 months. Assessment. In weekly journal reflections and a final paper, student pharmacists reported improved communication and health promotion skills. Elementary teachers reported they were satisfied with student pharmacists’ performance in the classroom. On pretest and posttest evaluations, elementary students demonstrated increased science knowledge and enhanced enthusiasm for science following the lessons taught by student pharmacists. Conclusions. The HealthWISE elective course provided positive benefit for student pharmacists, elementary school teachers, and elementary students. PMID:22345722

  19. How the nature of science is presented to elementary students in science read-alouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rivera, Seema

    Students as early as elementary school age are capable of learning the aspects of the nature of science (NOS), and the National Benchmarks incorporate the NOS as part of the learning objectives for K--2 students. Learning more about elementary science instruction can aid in understanding how the NOS can be taught or potentially integrated into current teaching methods. Although many teaching methods exist, this study will focus on read-alouds because they are recommended for and are very common in elementary schools. The read-aloud practice is particularly helpful to young students because most of these students have a higher listening comprehension than reading comprehension. One of the main components of the read-aloud practice is the discourse that takes place about the trade book. Both explicit and implicit messages are communicated to students by teachers' language and discussion that takes place in the classroom. Therefore, six multisite naturalistic case studies were conducted to understand elementary teachers' understanding of the NOS, students' understandings of the NOS, trade book representations of the NOS, and read-aloud practices and understandings in upstate New York. The findings of the study revealed that teachers and students held mostly naive and mixed understandings of the NOS. The trade books that had explicit connections to the NOS helped teachers discuss NOS related issues, even when the teachers did not hold strong NOS views. Teachers who held more informed NOS views were able to ask students NOS related questions. All teachers showed they need guidance on how to translate their NOS views into discussion and see the significance of the NOS in their classroom. Explicit NOS instruction can improve student understanding of the NOS, however the focus should be not only on teachers and their NOS understanding but also on the books used. These results show that quality trade books with explicit connections to the NOS are a useful instructional tool

  20. Effects of Teacher Diversity and Student-Teacher Racial/Ethnic Matching in Elementary Schools on Educational Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banerjee, Neena

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation investigates the implications of student-teacher racial/ethnic matching on two educational outcomes. The fourth chapter investigates whether assignment to same-race teachers affects students' math and reading achievement growth in early elementary grades and whether the overall racial/ethnic composition of the teaching workforce…

  1. Cypriot Urban Elementary Students' Attitude toward Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constantinides, Panos; Silverman, Stephen

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: This study examined the attitudes of Cypriot elementary school students toward physical education. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students (N = 763) from six urban Cypriot elementary schools completed an attitude instrument. Methods: Adapting the attitude instrument for Greek-speaking students an extensive two-step pilot study showed the…

  2. Game Multimedia in Numeracy Learning for Elementary School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rohendi, D.; Sumarna, N.; Sutarno, H.

    2017-03-01

    Numeracy is one of the basic skills for elementary students to understand further concepts of mathematics. However teaching numeracy is still using recitation that can overload student’s memory and make them reluctant to learn mathematics, so an innovative way by using multimedia to attract student interest in numeracy is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study are: 1) to develop numeracy learning multimedia for elementary school students; and 2) to find out whether the implementation of numeracy learning multimedia can improve the students numeracy skills, and how is the response of elementary school students by using multimedia in learning numeracy? The results showed that multimedia can improve students’ numeracy skill which is quit medium and the student response by using multimedia in numeracy learning are good.

  3. Unlocking Elementary Students' Perspectives of Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Damiani, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    This study examines whether and how principals take their lead from students, and use student voice, to create more responsive schools, and more responsible models of leadership. I consider issues of student agency and voice within four very different elementary school settings. Further, I consider the challenges students face, and the ways…

  4. Career Education--The Early Years. [and] Let's Get Serious about Career Education for Elementary Students. AACE Bonus Briefs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woal, S. Theodore; DuVall, Patricia S.

    This document consists of two brief articles on career education in elementary school. The first article, "Career Education--The Early Years" by S. Theodore Woal, suggests that elementary school is the time to begin to infuse career education concepts and to correlate and integrate career guidance in the school curriculum. Three activities are…

  5. Younger elementary students waste more school lunch foods than older elementary students

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Children may not receive the nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. This study investigated whether there were differences in school lunch foods consumed and wasted by grade level of elementary school students. In this cross-sectional study, anonymous meal ...

  6. Digital Photography for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neckers, Matt

    2009-01-01

    Most elementary students approach photography in an open-minded, experimental way. As a result, their images are often more playful than those taken by adults. Students discover more through their own explorations than they would learn through overly structured lessons. In this article, the author describes how he introduces his elementary…

  7. Student Leadership Education in Elementary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hess, Lindsay

    2010-01-01

    As I began my career as a teacher, I assumed leadership education would naturally be integrated into the elementary classroom curriculum because I was intrigued by this topic. However, as I spent more time in the classroom I quickly realized leadership skills were not part of regular classroom learning or practice for elementary age students. I…

  8. Knowledge-Linking Perceptions of Late-Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuh, Kathy L.; Kuo, Yi-Lung; Knupp, Tawnya L.

    2014-01-01

    This study describes student perceptions of potential elaborative or generative learning strategies called student knowledge links. This construct was assessed using the Student Knowledge Linking Instrument-Perceptions (SKLIP), a new learning inventory to measure late-elementary student perceptions of the creation of student knowledge links. After…

  9. Peer and Teacher Preference, Student-Teacher Relationships, Student Ethnicity, and Peer Victimization in Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Feihong; Leary, Kevin A.; Taylor, Lorraine C.; Derosier, Melissa E.

    2016-01-01

    The authors examined the effects of peer preference and teacher preference for students, students' perceived relationship with their teacher and student ethnicity on peer victimization in late elementary school. Participants were students in the third through fifth grades in four public elementary schools in a southern state. Using hierarchical…

  10. Peer and Teacher Preference, Student-Teacher Relationships, Student Ethnicity, and Peer Victimization in Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Feihong; Leary, Kevin A.; Taylor, Lorraine C.; Derosier, Melissa E.

    2016-01-01

    We examined the effects of peer preference and teacher preference for students, students' perceived relationship with their teacher and student ethnicity on peer victimization in late elementary school. Participants were students in the third through fifth grades in four public elementary schools in a southern state. Using hierarchical linear…

  11. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, center, poses with students from Ferebee-Hope Elementary School on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  12. Bowling for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curtis, Joyce M.

    2005-01-01

    Physical education programs at the elementary school level play an important role in developing students' interest and skill in lifelong physical activities. With increasing inactivity, overweight, and obesity among children, school physical education programs are challenged with presenting activities that can be enjoyed in childhood and…

  13. Student Perceptions of the Transition from Elementary to Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akos, Patrick

    2002-01-01

    This study sought to learn more about student perceptions during the transition from elementary to middle school. In response to students' concerns, it is suggested that school counselors implement preventive or proactive programming to assist students with the elementary to middle school transition. (Contains 22 references.) (GCP)

  14. Stakeholders' Perceptions on Mandated Student Retention in Early Childhood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mankins, Jennifer K.

    2018-01-01

    Reading is one of the primary goals of the early elementary grades. When students start to struggle with this complex skill, educators and parents search for solutions to rectify quickly mounting gaps before a child falls too far behind. In the State of Oklahoma, lawmakers have passed a law requiring mandatory 3rd grade retention for students who…

  15. Physician as teacher: promoting health and wellness among elementary school students.

    PubMed

    Stefaniak, Jill E; Lucia, Victoria C

    2014-01-01

    Every day, physicians engage in teaching during their patient encounters. It may be that medical students who are introduced to the principles of teaching and learning are more likely to become good communicators and learners. Service-learning may be an effective way for medical students to practice skills in teaching and communication in a real-world setting, while also filling a need within the community. The purpose of this study was to identify common themes within medical students' reflections on what they learned through participating in a teaching exercise with local elementary school children. As a required component of a longitudinal prevention and public health course that spans the first and second years of undergraduate medical education, second year students at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, in Detroit, Michigan, in the USA completed a service-learning activity, which included teaching a standardized curricular module to local elementary school children. Students were required to complete a reflection assignment based on their teaching experience. Medical students' responses to assignment's three guided questions were qualitatively coded to identify common themes among the responses related to the teaching activity. Qualitative analysis of students' reflections revealed several themes regarding what the students learned and viewed as the benefits of the activity: The importance of early education and parental involvement; the importance of understanding your audience when teaching; the importance of simplifying complex concepts to the audience's level; and the importance of preparation for teaching. Medical students identified the difficulties of communicating at an audience appropriate level and providing patient education outside the confines of a controlled classroom setting. This activity provided medical students with hands-on experience presenting to an audience age-appropriate, health-related topics. Presenting in an

  16. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, speaks to students about his experience as an astronaut on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  17. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, answers questions from students about his experience as an astronaut on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  18. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, center, speaks to students about his experience as an astronaut on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  19. The Relations among Family Functioning, Class Environment, and Gratitude in Chinese Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bai, Yu; Jin, Leili

    2016-01-01

    Gratitude is a key construct in positive psychology. Previous studies seldom examined the salient contextual correlates of gratitude in early adolescence in non-Western society. This study examined the relations among family functioning, class environment, and gratitude in a sample of 202 Chinese elementary school students. The results showed that…

  20. Integrating Book, Digital Content and Robot for Enhancing Elementary School Students' Learning of English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Nian-Shing; Quadir, Benazir; Teng, Daniel C.

    2011-01-01

    Early school years are an important period to lay out the foundation for learning a second language. In addition to mastering the basic language skills and keeping the learning process fun, promoting a lifelong learning habit should also be emphasised. Motivating elementary school students to learn English and avoiding misconceptions associated…

  1. Student Initiatives in Urban Elementary Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Scott; Lee, Okhee; Santau, Alexandra; Cone, Neporcha

    2010-01-01

    Student initiatives play an important role in inquiry-based science with all students, including English language learning (ELL) students. This study examined initiatives that elementary students made as they participated in an intervention to promote science learning and English language development over a three-year period. In addition, the…

  2. Bringing the Science of Climate Change to Elementary Students with new Classroom Activities from Elementary GLOBE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardiner, L. S.; Hatheway, B.; Taylor, J.; Chambers, L. H.; Stanitski, D.

    2016-12-01

    To address the dearth of climate education resources at the elementary level, we have developed a new module of Elementary GLOBE to showcase the science of climate change for young learners. Elementary GLOBE builds K-4 student understanding of the science concepts and the practices of science research. At the heart of each Elementary GLOBE module is a fiction storybook, describing how three kids investigate a science question. Accompanying classroom activities allow students to explore the science concepts in the book in more depth and in a context appropriate for young learners. The book for the Elementary GLOBE climate module, "What in the World Is Happening to Our Climate?," is the account of an adventure to explore climate change, how it is affecting melting glacial ice and sea level rise, and how climate change is a problem that can be solved. Three hands-on activities, which will be presented at this session, allow students to explore the topics in greater depth including differences between weather and climate, how sea level rise affects coastal areas, and how they can shrink their carbon footprint to help address recent climate change. Each activity includes instructions for teachers, background information, and activity sheets for students, and is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Math and Language Arts Standards. The storybook and activities were field tested in classrooms and reviewed by climate and Earth system scientists as well as elementary education and climate education specialists and educators to ensure scientific accuracy and clear explanations, and that the resources are age appropriate and reflect the needs of the climate education community. Other Elementary GLOBE modules include the science of seasonal change, water, soil, clouds, aerosols, and Earth as a system. All Elementary GLOBE educational resources are freely available online (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe).

  3. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Betsy Pugel, a physicist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., shows students an imprint of a boot from a space suit on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  4. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, far right, answers questions from students about his experience as an astronaut on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  5. The Impact of Structural Barriers and Facilitators on Early Childhood Literacy Programs in Elementary Charter Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Denise; Pinder, Glen; Coles-White, D'Jaris

    2015-01-01

    Elementary charter schools increasingly serve students who are at-risk for reading challenges, giving them a critical role in establishing literacy for young children. This article examines the complexities of starting early childhood literacy programs in charter schools. Specifically, the first year of K-3 literacy programs in a new and a…

  6. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Elementary Grade Schools in Bangkok, Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saifah, Yotsawee

    2012-01-01

    The purposes of this study were (a) to examine early elementary grade teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs and their teaching practices in public schools in Bangkok, (b) to explore the functioning of developmentally appropriate practice in the two chosen early elementary schools, and (c) to determine the factors that influence the…

  7. Problematic Social Situations for Peer-Rejected Students in the First Year of Elementary School.

    PubMed

    Martín-Antón, Luis J; Monjas, María Inés; García Bacete, Francisco J; Jiménez-Lagares, Irene

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the social situations that are problematic for peer-rejected students in the first year of elementary school. For this purpose, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations for Children (TOPS, Dodge et al., 1985) in 169 rejected pupils, identified from a sample of 1457 first-grade students (ages 5-7) enrolled in 62 classrooms of elementary school. For each rejected student, another student of average sociometric status of the same gender was selected at random from the same classroom ( n average = 169). The model for the rejected students showed a good fit, and was also invariant in the group of average students. Four types of situations were identified in which rejected students have significantly more difficulties than average students. They are, in descending order: (a) respect for authority and rules, (b) being disadvantaged, (c) prosocial and empathic behavior, and (d) response to own success. Rejected boys have more problems in situations of prosociability and empathy than girls. The implications concerning the design of specific programs to prevent and reduce early childhood rejection in the classroom are discussed.

  8. A Study of Anger and the Elementary Student. Research Brief #25.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyer, Robin; Wise, Stephanie

    A survey was developed to study anger in elementary school students drawing on the experience of school counselors and teachers. The final survey was distributed to elementary school counselors, school administrators, and teachers to use with children referred for anger control issues. In 7 elementary schools, 1 female and 36 male students in…

  9. Investigating Indian Elementary and Middle School Students' Images of Designers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ara, Farhat; Natarajan, Chitra

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents an investigation into Indian elementary and middle school students' images of designers. A "Draw a designer at work" test was used with 511 students from Classes 5 to 9 from a school located in Mumbai. Findings from the study indicate that Indian elementary and middle school students, who had no experience in design…

  10. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Betsy Pugel, far left, a physicist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., talks with students about the space suit glove they are trying on, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  11. Developmental Bouldering for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez, Ray; Fader, Tim

    2004-01-01

    Physical educators have an opportunity to promote outdoor activities to students. In elementary school, physical educators can introduce non-mechanized activities that students can then enjoy in outdoor environments. One of these activities is bouldering, which is climbing or traversing across a climbing wall a few feet off the ground. Bouldering…

  12. Elementary School Students Perception Levels of Problem Solving Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yavuz, Günes; Yasemin, Deringöl; Arslan, Çigdem

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to reveal the perception levels of problem solving skills of elementary school students. The sample of the study is formed by totally 264 elementary students attending to 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade in a big city in Turkey. Data were collected by means of "Perception Scale for Problem Solving Skills" which…

  13. Elementary student teachers' science content representations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zembal-Saul, Carla; Krajcik, Joseph; Blumenfeld, Phyllis

    2002-08-01

    This purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which three prospective teachers who had early opportunities to teach science would approach representing science content within the context of their student teaching experiences. The study is framed in the literature on pedagogical content knowledge and learning to teach. A situated perspective on cognition is applied to better understand the influence of context and the role of the cooperating teacher. The three participants were enrolled in an experimental teacher preparation program designed to enhance the teaching of science at the elementary level. Qualitative case study design guided the collection, organization, and analysis of data. Multiple forms of data associated with student teachers' content representations were collected, including audiotaped planning and reflection interviews, written lesson plans and reflections, and videotaped teaching experiences. Broad analysis categories were developed and refined around the subconstructs of content representation (i.e., knowledge of instructional strategies that promote learning and knowledge of students and their requirements for meaningful science learning). Findings suggest that when prospective teachers are provided with opportunities to apply and reflect substantively on their developing considerations for supporting children's science learning, they are able to maintain a subject matter emphasis. However, in the absence of such opportunities, student teachers abandon their subject matter emphasis, even when they have had extensive background and experiences addressing subject-specific considerations for teaching and learning.

  14. Written narrative practices in elementary school students.

    PubMed

    Romano-Soares, Soraia; Soares, Aparecido José Couto; Cárnio, Maria Silvia

    2010-01-01

    Promotion of a written narratives production program in the third grade of an Elementary School. To analyze two written narrative practice proposals in order to verify which resources are more efficient in benefitting the textual productions of third grade Elementary School students. Sixty students were selected from two third grade groups of a public Elementary School in São Paulo (Brazil). For the analysis, students were divided into two groups (Group A and Group B). Fourteen children's storybooks were used. In Group A, the story was orally told by the researchers in a colloquial manner, keeping the narrator role and the original structure proposed by the author. In Group B, the story was fully read. The book was projected onto a screen and read aloud so the students could follow the reading and observe the corresponding illustrations. Voice changing resources in the characters' dialogues were used. In the overall comparison, statistically significant results were found for moment (initial and final assessments) and for interaction between groups. It was observed that both groups presented substantial development from initial to final assessment. The Written Narratives Promotion Program based on the shared reading of children's storybooks constituted a more effective strategy than telling the stories using a single reader.

  15. Upper Elementary Students' Motivation to Read Fiction and Nonfiction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Allison Ward; Parsons, Seth A.; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.; Gambrell, Linda B.; Marinak, Barbara A.; Reutzel, D. Ray; Applegate, Mary D.; Applegate, Anthony J.; Fawson, Parker C.

    2018-01-01

    This research explores upper elementary students' motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Using expectancy-value theory, the researchers developed separate surveys to measure motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Researchers administered surveys to 1,104 upper elementary students (grades 3-6) in multiple locations across the United States…

  16. Iteration in Early-Elementary Engineering Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McFarland Kendall, Amber Leigh

    2017-01-01

    K-12 standards and curricula are beginning to include engineering design as a key practice within Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. However, there is little research on how the youngest students engage in engineering design within the elementary classroom. This dissertation focuses on iteration as an essential aspect…

  17. The Effects of a Science-Focused STEM Intervention on Gifted Elementary Students' Science Knowledge and Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Ann; Dailey, Debbie; Hughes, Gail; Cotabish, Alicia

    2014-01-01

    To develop Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talents, both researchers and policy developers recommend that educators begin early. In this randomized study, we document the efficacy of teacher professional development and a rich problem-based inquiry curriculum to develop the science talent of elementary students. The…

  18. A Study of Health Education and Its Needs for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hussain, Irshad; Alamgir, Muhammad Ahmad; Shahzad, Muhammad

    2015-01-01

    Health Education, particularly in elementary schools, appears to be a neglected area in Pakistan. This study investigated the health education needs of elementary school students. The purpose of the present study is to assess health education needs of elementary school students. The study adopted mix approach of (qualitative and quantitative)…

  19. The Influence of Test-Based Accountability Policies on Early Elementary Teachers: School Climate, Environmental Stress, and Teacher Stress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saeki, Elina; Segool, Natasha; Pendergast, Laura; von der Embse, Nathaniel

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the potential influence of test-based accountability policies on school environment and teacher stress among early elementary teachers. Structural equation modeling of data from 541 kindergarten through second grade teachers across three states found that use of student performance on high-stakes tests to evaluate teachers…

  20. Examining Behavioral Risk and Academic Performance for Students Transitioning from Elementary to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Oakes, Wendy Peia; Carter, Erik W.; Messenger, Mallory

    2015-01-01

    We studied the transition from elementary to middle school for 74 fifth-grade students. Specifically, we examined how behavioral risk evident in the elementary years, as measured by the "Student Risk Screening Scale" (SRSS), impacts students transitioning from elementary to middle school. First, we examined how student risk status shifts…

  1. The Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Their Efforts to Help Students Utilize Student-to-Student Discourse in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Craddock, Jennifer Lovejoy

    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers who teach science as opposed to science teacher specialists regarding their efforts to help students use student-to-student discourse for improving science learning. A growing body of research confirms the importance of a) student-to-student discourse for making meaning of science ideas and b) moving students' conceptual development towards a more scientific understanding of the natural world. Based on those foundations, the three research questions that guided this study examined the value elementary teachers place on student-to-student discourse, the various approaches teachers employ to promote the use of student-to-student discourse for learning science, and the factors and conditions that promote and inhibit the use of student-to-student discourse as an effective pedagogical strategy in elementary science. Data were gathered from 23 elementary teachers in a single district using an on-line survey and follow-up interviews with 8 teachers. All data were analyzed and evolving themes led to the following findings: (1) elementary teachers value student-to-student discourse in science, (2) teachers desire to increase time using student-to-student discourse, (3) teachers use a limited number of student-to-student discourse strategies to increase student learning in science, (4) teachers use student-to-student discourse as formative assessment to determine student learning in science, (5) professional development focusing on approaches to student-to-student discourse develops teachers' capacity for effective implementation, (6) teachers perceive school administrators' knowledge of and support for student-to-student discourse as beneficial, (7) time and scheduling constraints limit the use of student-to-student discourse in science. Implications of this study included the necessity of school districts to focus on student-to-student discourse in science, provide teacher and

  2. Scientific Practices in Elementary Classrooms: Third-Grade Students' Scientific Explanations for Seed Structure and Function

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zangori, Laura; Forbes, Cory T.

    2014-01-01

    Elementary science standards emphasize that students should develop conceptual understanding of the characteristics and life cycles of plants (National Research Council, 2012), yet few studies have focused on early learners' reasoning about seed structure and function. The purpose of this study is twofold: to (a) examine third-grade…

  3. A Proposed System for Differentiating Elementary Mathematics for Exceptionally Able Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sirr, Palma M.

    1984-01-01

    A pilot mathematics project for one exceptionally able elementary student expanded to include other students and schools. Project activities included a needs assessment and development of a learning center approach and materials to differentiate the core elementary mathematics curriculum. (CL)

  4. Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers for Urban Elementary Science Classrooms: Challenging Cultural Biases Toward Diverse Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Felicia M.

    2008-02-01

    This study reports the learning of elementary preservice teachers regarding diversity and teaching science in diverse urban elementary classrooms. From participating in a semester-long book club, the preservice teachers reveal their cultural biases, connect and apply their knowledge of diversity, and understand that getting to know their students are important elements for teaching science in diverse classrooms. These 3 things connect in ways that allow the preservice teachers to understand how their cultural biases impede student learning and gain new knowledge of diversity as they change their cultural biases. Implications of this study reveal that preservice teachers need opportunities to reveal, confront, challenge, and change their cultural models and to develop new models for teaching science in urban elementary classrooms.

  5. Investigating Elementary School Students' Perceptions about Environment through Their Drawings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozsoy, Sibel

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine elementary school students' perceptions about environment through their drawings. The study was carried out during the spring semester of 2010-2011 academic year. A total of 429 elementary school students, including 68 fourth grade, 78 fifth grade, 97 sixth grade, 85 seventh grade, 101 eighth grade,…

  6. Student access to competitive foods in elementary schools: trends over time and regional differences.

    PubMed

    Turner, Lindsey R; Chaloupka, Frank J

    2012-02-01

    To examine the availability of competitive foods in elementary schools. Nationally representative mail-back survey. United States public and private elementary schools during the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 school years. Survey respondents at 2647 public and 1205 private elementary schools. The availability of foods offered in competitive venues. Elementary school students' access to foods in competitive venues on campus (vending machines, school stores, snack bars, or à la carte lines) remained constant over time. As of the 2009-2010 school year, approximately half of all public and private elementary school students could purchase foods in 1 or more competitive venues on campus. Sugary foods were available to almost all students with access to competitive foods on campus. Public elementary school students in the South had more access to competitive food venues and greater availability of salty and sweet products in those venues compared with students in other parts of the country; however, they also had greater availability of healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Many elementary school students can purchase competitive foods on campus. Most students with access to competitive venues could purchase sweet products, but healthier foods were less widely available.

  7. Teachers Creating Safe School Environments: Prevention of Elementary Student-to-Student Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gant Bradley, Heather

    2014-01-01

    Student-to-student bullying is still a current issue within elementary schools nationwide. Educators are often unaware, improperly trained and/or unwilling to help in student bullying incidences. Without training or willingness, teachers often are driven into silence and inaction, effectively putting the wellbeing of students at risk. The present…

  8. Prospective Elementary School Teachers' Professional Noticing of Children's Early Numeracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schack, Edna O.; Fisher, Molly H.; Thomas, Jonathan N.; Eisenhardt, Sara; Tassell, Janet; Yoder, Margaret

    2013-01-01

    The goal of this study is to develop the professional noticing abilities of prospective elementary school teachers in the context of the Stages of Early Arithmetic Learning. In their mathematics methods course, ninety-four prospective elementary school teachers from three institutions participated in a researcher-developed five-session module that…

  9. Fifth Grade Elementary Students' Conceptions of Earthquakes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savasci, Funda; Uluduz, Hatice

    2013-01-01

    This study intends to investigate the fifth grade students' conceptions of earthquakes. Twenty two grade 5 students (11-12 years old) from five different elementary schools in Istanbul voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with each participant. Six interview questions were designed by…

  10. Leland Melvin Meets with Elementary Students

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-02-08

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former space shuttle astronaut, reads to first and third grade students from the book “The Moon Over Star” at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in Washington, DC. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. Reading is Fundamental distributes more than 50,000 free books to help children discover the joy of reading. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  11. Examining student-generated questions in an elementary science classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diaz, Juan Francisco, Jr.

    This study was conducted to better understand how teachers use an argument-based inquiry technique known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach to address issues on teaching, learning, negotiation, argumentation, and elaboration in an elementary science classroom. Within the SWH framework, this study traced the progress of promoting argumentation and negotiation (which led to student-generated questions) during a discussion in an elementary science classroom. Speech patterns during various classroom scenarios were analyzed to understand how teacher--student interactions influence learning. This study uses a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative aspect of the study is an analysis of teacher--student interactions in the classroom using video recordings. The quantitative aspect uses descriptive statistics, tables, and plots to analyze the data. The subjects in this study were fifth grade students and teachers from an elementary school in the Midwest, during the academic years 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. The three teachers selected for this study teach at the same Midwestern elementary school. These teachers were purposely selected because they were using the SWH approach during the two years of the study. The results of this study suggest that all three teachers moved from using teacher-generated questions to student-generated questions as they became more familiar with the SWH approach. In addition, all three promoted the use of the components of arguments in their dialogs and discussions and encouraged students to elaborate, challenge, and rebut each other's ideas in a non-threatening environment. This research suggests that even young students, when actively participating in class discussions, are capable of connecting their claims and evidence and generating questions of a higher-order cognitive level. These findings demand the implementation of more professional development programs and the improvement in teacher education to help

  12. Exploring Elementary Student Perceptions of Writing Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marrs, Sarah; Zumbrunn, Sharon; McBride, Caitlin; Stringer, J. K.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this descriptive qualitative investigation was to explore elementary students' (N = 867) perceptions of the feedback they receive on their writing. After responding to the closed-ended question, "Do you like to receive feedback about your writing?" students were branched to the appropriate follow-up open-ended question,…

  13. Implementing Inclusive Engineering Challenges for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silva Mangiante, Elaine; Moore, Adam

    2015-01-01

    The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize the need to promote equitable opportunities for all students to engage in science and engineering. This article offers eight tips that educators can use to support students of all abilities, including those with special learning needs, to engage in engineering challenges at the elementary level.

  14. Contemporary Practice in the Elementary Classroom: A Study of Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thulson, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Elementary school is not too early to introduce contemporary art; young students are especially adept at learning by mimicry and embracing contemporary art practices, including site-specific works. Elementary students are poised and capable to comprehend and respond to contemporary art. Tangible products can be made within a conceptual,…

  15. Perceptions of Elementary School Students: Experiences and Dreams about the Life Studies Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baysal, Z. Nurdan; Tezcan, Özlem Apak; Araç, Kamil Ersin

    2018-01-01

    This study seeks to identify elementary school students' views and perceptions of the Life Studies course through verbal and visual instruments. It employs a descriptive phenomenological research design. The study surveyed second- and third-grade students attending one private elementary school and two state elementary schools. The data was…

  16. A Multi-Method Investigation of Mathematics Motivation for Elementary Age Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linder, Sandra M.; Smart, Julie B.; Cribbs, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a multi-method study examining elementary students with high self-reported levels of mathematics motivation. Second- through fifth-grade students at a Title One school in the southeastern United States completed the Elementary Mathematics Motivation Instrument (EMMI), which examines levels of mathematics…

  17. Development and Validation of Nature of Science Instrument for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hacieminoglu, Esme; Yilmaz-Tüzün, Özgül; Ertepinar, Hamide

    2014-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to develop and validate an instrument for assessing elementary students' nature of science (NOS) views and to explain the elementary school students' NOS views, in terms of varying grade levels and gender. The sample included 782 students enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Exploratory factor analysis…

  18. The Effects of Note-Taking Skills Instruction on Elementary Students' Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Wan-Chen; Ku, Yu-Min

    2015-01-01

    The authors investigated the effects of a 5-week note-taking skills instructional program on note-taking and reading comprehension performance of elementary students. The participants included 349 fourth-grade students from 2 elementary schools in Taiwan. The Note-Taking Instruction group received approximately 40 min of note-taking skills…

  19. Investigating First Year Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education Students' Knowledge of Prism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bozkurt, Ali; Koc, Yusuf

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate first year elementary mathematics teacher education students' knowledge of prism. For this goal, the participants were asked to define the geometric concept of prism. The participants were 158 first year elementary mathematics teacher education students from a public university in Southern Turkey. The…

  20. The Predictors of Internet Addiction Behaviours for Taiwanese Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lan, Chu M.; Lee, Yu H.

    2013-01-01

    Although there has been considerable research which has explored factors related to internet addiction, few studies have investigated elementary school students' involvement in this behaviour pattern. Participants in the present study were 1045 children in grades 3 to 6 from elementary schools in Taiwan. Students completed surveys on their use of…

  1. Results of a Survey about Homework and Homework Hotlines for Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Bulwant

    Reported are responses of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, their parents and teachers to a survey conducted to determine the need for a homework hotline. Discussion is based on data from 379 randomly selected parents of students in intermediate elementary grades of 21 elementary schools, 333 elementary school teachers, and 392 randomly…

  2. Improving science inquiry with elementary students of diverse backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cuevas, Peggy; Lee, Okhee; Hart, Juliet; Deaktor, Rachael

    2005-03-01

    This study examined the impact of an inquiry-based instructional intervention on (a) children's ability to conduct science inquiry overall and to use specific skills in inquiry, and (b) narrowing the gaps in children's ability among demographic subgroups of students. The intervention consisted of instructional units, teacher workshops, and classroom practices. The study involved 25 third- and fourth-grade students from six elementary schools representing diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Quantitative results demonstrated that the intervention enhanced the inquiry ability of all students regardless of grade, achievement, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), home language, and English proficiency. Particularly, low-achieving, low-SES, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) exited students made impressive gains. The study adds to the existing literature on designing learning environments that foster science inquiry of all elementary students.

  3. Developing an Assessment Instrument to Measure Early Elementary Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoen, Robert C.; Bray, Wendy; Wolfe, Christopher; Tazaz, Amanda M.; Nielsen, Lynne

    2017-01-01

    This study reports on the development and field study of K-TEEM, a web-based assessment instrument designed to measure mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) at the early elementary level. The development process involved alignment with early elementary curriculum standards, expert review of items and scoring criteria, cognitive interviews with…

  4. Elementary students' engagement in failure-prone engineering design tasks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrews, Chelsea Joy

    Although engineering education has been practiced at the undergraduate level for over a century, only fairly recently has the field broadened to include the elementary level; the pre-college division of the American Society of Engineering Education was established in 2003. As a result, while recent education standards require engineering in elementary schools, current studies are still filling in basic research on how best to design and implement elementary engineering activities. One area in need of investigation is how students engage with physical failure in design tasks. In this dissertation, I explore how upper elementary students engage in failure-prone engineering design tasks in an out-of-school environment. In a series of three empirical case studies, I look closely at how students evaluate failed tests and decide on changes to their design constructions, how their reasoning evolves as they repeatedly encounter physical failure, and how students and facilitators co-construct testing norms where repetitive failure is manageable. I also briefly investigate how students' engagement differs in a task that features near-immediate success. By closely examining student groups' discourse and their interactions with their design constructions, I found that these students: are able to engage in iteration and see failure-as-feedback with minimal externally-imposed structure; seem to be designing in a more sophisticated manner, attending to multiple causal factors, after experiencing repetitive failure; and are able to manage the stress and frustration of repetitive failure, provided the co-constructed testing norms of the workshop environment are supportive of failure management. These results have both pedagogical implications, in terms of how to create and facilitate design tasks, and methodological implications--namely, I highlight the particular insights afforded by a case study approach for analyzing engagement in design tasks.

  5. A Survey of Greek Elementary School Students' Smoking Habits and Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piperakis, Stylianos M.; Karagouni-Areou, Fotini; Triga, Anastasia; Piperakis, Alexander S.; Argyracouli, Efthimia; Thanou, Aggeliki; Papadimitriou, Basiliki; Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos; Zafiropoulou, Maria

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the smoking habits of Greek elementary school students, their attitudes towards smoking, and their perceptions of the health consequences of tobacco use. Data were obtained from 1,092 elementary school students who completed a 24-item questionnaire designed for this study. Results indicated more older…

  6. Restrictive educational placements increase adolescent risks for students with early-starting conduct problems.

    PubMed

    Powers, Christopher J; Bierman, Karen L; Coffman, Donna L

    2016-08-01

    Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5-6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  7. Elementary Students' Construct of PE Teacher Credibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramos, Nilo O.; McCullick, Bryan A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary students' perceptions of PE teacher credibility. Eight high- and low-skilled students from grades 3 and 5 were selected from a school employing a PE teacher holding a National Board Certification. Data were collected in the school setting utilizing observations, field notes, an open-ended…

  8. Rural elementary students', parents', and teachers' perceptions of bullying.

    PubMed

    Stockdale, Margaret S; Hangaduambo, Saidou; Duys, David; Larson, Karl; Sarvela, Paul D

    2002-01-01

    To examine the prevalence and correlates of bullying in 7 rural elementary schools from students', parents', and teachers' perspectives. Surveys were completed by 739 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students, 367 parents, and 37 teachers. Students tended to report higher prevalence of bullying than did parents or teachers, and their reports were associated with aggression, attitudes toward violence, and perceptions of school safety. Bullying behavior is prevalent in rural elementary schools and is indicative of aggression and proviolence attitudes. Parents and teachers need to pay closer attention to bullying behavior among schoolchildren and to impart their knowledge to children in a comprehensive, coordinated manner.

  9. Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration.

    PubMed

    Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

    2016-05-01

    A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K-12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

  10. Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration†

    PubMed Central

    Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

    2016-01-01

    A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K–12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach. PMID:27158309

  11. Elementary Students At Risk: A Status Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legters, Nettie; Slavin, Robert E.

    This paper offers a background of information on children in elementary school in the 1990s and on likely trends in the near future. It focuses particularly on issues relating to students who are at risk for school failure. One section identifies various risk factors that students face when they enter school and estimates the numbers of at-risk…

  12. [Aggression and related factors in elementary school students].

    PubMed

    Ji, Eun Sun; Jang, Mi Heui

    2010-10-01

    This study was done to explore the relationship between aggression and internet over-use, depression-anxiety, self-esteem, all of which are known to be behavior and psychological characteristics linked to "at-risk" children for aggression. Korean-Child Behavior Check List (K-CBCL), Korean-Internet Addiction Self-Test Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale by Rosenberg (1965) were used as measurement tools with a sample of 743, 5th-6th grade students from 3 elementary schools in Jecheon city. Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/Win 13.0 version were used to analyze the collected data. Aggression for the elementary school students was positively correlated with internet over-use and depression-anxiety, whereas self-esteem was negatively correlated with aggression. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that 68.4% of the variance for aggression was significantly accounted for by internet over-use, depression-anxiety, and self-esteem. The most significant factor influencing aggression was depression-anxiety. These results suggest that earlier screening and intervention programs for depression-anxiety and internet over-use for elementary student will be helpful in preventing aggression.

  13. Thomas Edison Accelerated Elementary School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levin, Henry M.; Chasin, Gene

    This paper describes early outcomes of a Sacramento, California, elementary school that participated in the Accelerated Schools Project. The school, which serves many minority and poor students, began training for the project in 1992. Accelerated Schools were designed to advance the learning rate of students through a gifted and talented approach,…

  14. Investigating Effect of Origami-Based Instruction on Elementary Students' Spatial Skills and Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cakmak, Sedanur; Isiksal, Mine; Koc, Yusuf

    2014-01-01

    The authors' purpose was to investigate the effect of origami-based instruction on elementary students' spatial ability. The students' self-reported perceptions related to the origami-based instruction were also examined. Data was collected via purposive sampling techniques from students enrolled in a private elementary school. A spatial ability…

  15. Reciprocal Relationships between Mathematics Anxiety and Attitude towards Mathematics in Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haciomeroglu, Guney

    2017-01-01

    This current study examined the reciprocal relationship between anxiety and attitude towards mathematics in elementary students. Two instruments (attitudes towards mathematics inventory short form [ATMI-Short Form] and the Revised Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale [Revised-FSMAS]) were administered to 310 fourth grade elementary students.…

  16. Historic Preservation and Elementary Student Extracurricular Community Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Ronald V.

    2016-01-01

    Elementary students survey buildings in an extracurricular community service project to learn social studies and historic preservation. From these experiences students formed values and dispositions by engaging in a constructivist process of creating knowledge by examining their community. They gathered data, transformed it into information, and…

  17. Media Presentations on the Reading Attention and Comprehension of Taiwanese Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ku, David Tawei; Cheng, Yu-Mei

    2016-01-01

    We adopted an experimental design to investigate the effects of various media presentation modes on the reading attention and comprehension of Taiwanese elementary school students. The participants comprised 138 students from 4 classes of third grade elementary school students from New Taipei City, Taiwan. The participants attended 5 short stories…

  18. Preservice elementary teachers' personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancies: The influence of student teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plourde, Lee Alton

    This study was unique in garnering an early view at how the deterioration of science teacher education begins. This investigation examined the impact of the student teaching semester on preservice elementary teachers' personal efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancy beliefs in science teaching. Participants in the study included the student teachers of three separate cohort groups commencing and completing their student teaching semester at the same time. Qualitative data were gathered from interviews and observations from selected individuals of these cohort groups. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in the study. Utilizing a pretest and posttest one group research design, quantitative data were obtained from the administration of a psychometric test, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument for preservice teachers (STEBI-B). The pretest was administered at the beginning of the student teaching semester, before the student teachers began their "soloing" teaching, and the posttest was administered at the completion of the student teaching semester and "soloing" period. Qualitative data were derived from interviews and observations which were audio recorded and transcribed. The results of this study revealed that the student teaching semester did not have a statistically significant impact on the subjects' sense of personal self-efficacy, but the influence was statistically significant in regards to the student teachers' beliefs about children's ability to learn science. Data gathered through interviews and observations suggested that beliefs appear to originate from one or more of the following: a lack of practical work, personal involvement, and hands-on manipulation in science related activities in elementary, secondary, and tertiary education; a dependence of science courses on textbooks and lectures; the dispassionate association with science teachers/instructors; a focus on formalized tests with no performance assessments; the

  19. Effect of the SQ4R Technique on the Reading Comprehension of Elementary School 4th Grade Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basar, Murat; Gürbüz, Mehmet

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the effect of SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review) technique of the reading comprehension ability of elementary school 4th grade students. The sampling was constituted by 57 students from two different branches of the Ataturk Elementary School in the center of Usak region during the 2nd…

  20. Urban Schools: Challenges and Possibilities for Early Childhood and Elementary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boutte, Gloria Swindler

    2012-01-01

    Addressing the seemingly perpetual turbulent landscape of urban schools, the role that elementary educators and teacher educators can play in reversing negative trends and trajectories is considered. Three urban education journals were examined over a 5-year period (2005-2010) to determine the emphasis on elementary students or schools. Of the 429…

  1. Early vulnerabilities for psychiatric disorders in elementary schoolchildren from four Brazilian regions.

    PubMed

    Paula, Cristiane S; Mari, Jair J; Bordin, Isabel Altenfelder Santos; Miguel, Euripedes C; Fortes, Isabela; Barroso, Natalia; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of the study is to identify early vulnerabilities for psychiatric disorders among Brazilian elementary school children, controlling for familial and community adversities. This is a cross-sectional study examining the association between child psychiatric disorders and potential early vulnerabilities (disability, low intellectual quotient, and negative dimensions of the temperament trait self-directedness (low resourcefulness, low purposefulness, low enlightened second nature), controlling for the potential confounders: familial and community adversities. Four probabilistic samples of second-to-sixth grade students from public schools in four towns from different Brazilian regions (N = 1620). The following instruments were applied: the K-SADS-PL (to assess child/adolescent psychiatric disorders); the Ten-Question Screen (to measure child disability); three structured questions used as proxy of self-directedness; and the reduced version of the WISC-III to measure IQ. To evaluate familial/community adversities: Self-Report Questionnaire-SRQ-20 (to assess maternal/primary caretaker anxiety/depression); questions derived from structured questionnaires (to measure child abuse, marital physical violence, neighborhood violence); Brazilian Association of Research Companies questionnaire (to evaluate poverty/socioeconomic status). Trained psychologists interviewed mothers/primary caretakers and evaluated children/adolescents individually. A final logistic regression model showed that children/adolescents with low resourcefulness, low purposefulness, low enlightened second nature, lower IQ and disability were more likely to present any child psychiatric disorders. Early vulnerabilities such as low IQ, presence of disability, and dimensions of temperament were associated with psychiatric disorders among Brazilian elementary school children, after controlling for familial and ecological confounders. These early vulnerabilities should be considered in mental

  2. Using Data to Improve Student Learning in Elementary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernhardt, Victoria L.

    2003-01-01

    This book, part of a four-book series on using data to improve student learning, concentrates on elementary education. The book shows real analysis focused on the elementary education level. It provides templates on an accompanying CD-ROM for leaders to use in analyzing data in their own learning organizations. The chapters are: (1) Introduction;…

  3. [Changes in academic motivation among elementary and junior high school students].

    PubMed

    Nishimura, Takuma; Sakurai, Shigeo

    2013-02-01

    This study examined changes in academic motivation among elementary and junior high school students. Based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000a), we focused on changes in autonomous and controlled motivation. In Study 1, we examined inter-individual changes in academic motivation among 5th to 9th grade students (N = 1 572) through a cross-sectional study. In Study 2, we examined intra-individual changes in academic motivation among students (N = 128) who were in transition from elementary to junior high school through a longitudinal study. All participants completed the Academic Motivation Scale (Nishimura, Kawamura, & Sakurai, 2011) that measured autonomous and controlled motivation. The results revealed that autonomous motivation decreased in the students from elementary to junior high school, while controlled motivation increased during the same period. This is a unique finding because a prior study conducted in a Western culture suggested that both motivations decrease gradually in school.

  4. Summer Literacy Unit for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bahrenfuss, Diane M.; Weih, Timothy G.

    2016-01-01

    This paper contains an instructional unit designed for teaching elementary students who struggle with reading comprehension. The literacy strategies that comprise the unit are grounded in the relevant research-based literature that is cited and referenced in the paper. Methods for instructional delivery are included as well as detailed lessons.…

  5. Developing an Assessment Instrument to Measure Early Elementary Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoen, Robert C.; Bray, Wendy; Wolfe, Christopher; Tazaz, Amanda M.; Nielsen, Lynne

    2017-01-01

    This study reports on the development and field study of K-TEEM, a web-based assessment instrument designed to measure mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) at the early elementary level. The development process involved alignment with early elementary curriculum standards, expert review of items and scoring criteria, cognitive interviews with…

  6. Views of Gifted Elementary Students about Self-Directed Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Deur, Penny

    2011-01-01

    Despite the connection between independent learning and gifted students, little is known of the views these students hold about the process of being self-directed learners. This interview study examined views of ten gifted elementary school students in South Australia about Self-Directed Learning. The interview responses showed that these gifted…

  7. Attitudes toward Elementary School Student Retention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faerber, Kay; Van Dusseldorp, Ralph

    Nonpromotion of elementary school students is a highly controversial and emotional issue, and a vast amount of literature has been devoted to the topic. With the current emphasis on raising academic standards in public schools, more and more educators are viewing "social promotion" with disfavor. This study was conducted to determine current…

  8. Early Childhood Inservice and Preservice Teachers' Perceived Levels of Preparedness to Handle Stress in Their Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onchwari, Jacqueline

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study that investigated preservice and inservice early childhood teachers' perceived levels of preparedness to handle stress in early childhood and elementary education students. A survey that included vignettes was used to collect data. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and statistically, using one-way ANOVA, "t"-test,…

  9. Elementary School Students' Perceptions of the Future Environment through Artwork

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Özsoy, Sibel; Ahi, Berat

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to investigate first level of elementary school students' perceptions of the future state of the environment through the pictures they draw. The participants of the study are 131 first-grade students, 127 second-grade students, 160 third-grade students, 188 fourth-grade students, and 222 fifth-grade students,…

  10. Compression-only CPR training in elementary schools and student attitude toward CPR.

    PubMed

    Kitamura, Tetsuhisa; Nishiyama, Chika; Murakami, Yukiko; Yonezawa, Takahiro; Nakai, Shohei; Hamanishi, Masayoshi; Marukawa, Seishiro; Sakamoto, Tetsuya; Iwami, Taku

    2016-08-01

    Little is known about the effectiveness of systematic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for elementary school children. We introduced systematic training of chest compression-only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use to elementary school students aged 10-12 years at 17 schools. The questionnaire compared student attitudes towards CPR and their knowledge about it before and after CPR training. We also evaluated parent and teacher views about CPR training in school education. The primary outcome was positive attitude, defined as "yes" and "maybe yes" on a 5 point Likert-type scale of student attitudes towards CPR.1 RESULTS: A total of 2047 elementary school students received CPR training. Of them, 1899 (92.8%) responded to the questionnaire regarding their attitude towards CPR before and after the training. Before training, 50.2% answered "yes" and 30.3% answered "maybe yes", to the question: "If someone suddenly collapses in front of you, can you do something such as check response or call emergency?" After training, their answers changed to 75.6% and 18.3% for "yes" and "maybe yes", respectively. Many of the students (72.3%, 271/370) who did not have a positive attitude before CPR training had a positive attitude after the training (P < 0.001). Most students understood how to perform CPR (97.7%) and use an AED (98.5%). Parents (96.2%, 1173/1220) and teachers (98.3%, 56/57) answered that it was "good" and "maybe good" for children to receive the training at elementary schools. Systematic chest compression-only CPR training helped elementary school students to improve their attitude towards CPR. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

  11. Comparison of Academic Achievement Levels of Students Beginning the Elementary School at Different Ages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çankaya, Ibrahim; Dag, Mehmet

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to make a comparison of various lessons' mean exam scores achieved at the first, second, third and fourth grade by students who started elementary school at 60-66 months and those who started at or above 69 months as these students started the elementary school at the same time after an amendment in elementary education law in…

  12. Enhancing Literacy Instruction for Grade Level Readers in the Early Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warren, Marie

    2010-01-01

    Local school districts are under pressure to have elementary reading teachers understand how phonics, during teacher-led small group literacy instruction, can help students who read below grade level. Elementary teachers need research-based strategies regarding which reading instructions of letter-sound components are necessary to help students…

  13. Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivational Regulations and Physical Activity Intention among Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Weiyun

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between psychological needs satisfaction, motivational regulations in physical education and physical activity intention among elementary school students. A total of 291 elementary school students in grades 3-6 voluntarily completed the three measures. This study indicated that satisfaction of three basic…

  14. Comprehension Monitoring by Elementary Students: When Does It Occur?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pace, Ann Jaffe

    The effect of passage topic and task demands on elementary school students' monitoring of their own comprehension was examined. Second, fourth, and sixth grade students read a short passage about a well-known event (playing checkers) or one about which they had little existing information (making lye soap). Half of the students in each grade were…

  15. Fostering Student Sense Making in Elementary Science Learning Environments: Elementary Teachers' Use of Science Curriculum Materials to Promote Explanation Construction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zangori, Laura; Forbes, Cory T.; Biggers, Mandy

    2013-01-01

    While research has shown that elementary (K-5) students are capable of engaging in the scientific practice of explanation construction, commonly-used elementary science curriculum materials may not always afford them opportunities to do so. As a result, elementary teachers must often adapt their science curriculum materials to better support…

  16. Discover science: Hands-on science workshops for elementary teachers and summer science camps for elementary students

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gotlib, L.; Bibby, E.; Cullen, B.

    1994-12-31

    Teams of local mentor teachers (assisted by college students in the NC Teaching Fellows Program) run week-long workshops for elementary teachers (at four sites in 1993, six in 1994). Major funding for the camps is provided through The Glaxo Foundation, supplemented with local funds. The workshops focus on hands-on science (using inexpensive materials) and provide familiarity and experience with the new NC science curriculum and assessment program. The use of local resources is stressed (including visiting scientists and readily available store-bought materials). Each camp has its own theme and provides teachers with a variety of resources to be used withmore » students of all abilities. The mentor teachers then run week-long, all expense paid, non-residential science camps for elementary students (open to all students, but with females and minorities as target groups). Students take part in long-and short-term projects, working individually and in groups. Pre and post participation surveys of all participants were conducted and analyzed, with favorable results for both the student and teacher weeks. Additional activities include parent nights, and follow-up workshops. Eighty-nine teachers and 208 students participated in 1993.« less

  17. The Effect on Elementary Science Education Based on Student's Pre-Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kang, Houn Tae; Noh, Suk Goo

    2017-01-01

    In this research, after extracting the pre-inquiries (student-level question) for which students had curiosity in the elementary science and analyzing their correlation with the elementary science curriculum, highly correlated inquiries (meaningful pre-inquiries) were selected and applied in class. After organizing an experiment group and a…

  18. The Relationship between Music Attitude and Selected Factors in Elementary Music Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Monica DeLoach

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine elementary students' attitudes toward music in Grades 3, 4, and 5. The sample comprised of 366 Grade 3, 4, and 5 students from two different Southeastern elementary schools. The schools had different socioeconomic identities. Of the two schools selected, one school was a Title I school and one a Non-Title I…

  19. Exploring Elementary Students' Understanding of Energy and Climate Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boylan, Colin

    2008-01-01

    As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curricula need to develop students' understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change. For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what their students' prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey…

  20. Is Early Ability Grouping Good for High-Achieving Students' Psychosocial Development? Effects of the Transition into Academically Selective Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Michael; Neumann, Marko; Tetzner, Julia; Böse, Susanne; Knoppick, Henrike; Maaz, Kai; Baumert, Jürgen; Lehmann, Rainer

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigates school context effects on psychosocial characteristics (academic self-concept, peer relations, school satisfaction, and school anxiety) of high-achieving and gifted students. Students who did or did not make an early transition from elementary to secondary schools for high-achieving and gifted students in 5th grade…

  1. Learning Science through Talking Science in Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tank, Kristina Maruyama; Coffino, Kara

    2014-01-01

    Elementary students in grade two make sense of science ideas and knowledge through their contextual experiences. Mattis Lundin and Britt Jakobson find in their research that early grade students have sophisticated understandings of human anatomy and physiology. In order to understand what students' know about human body and various systems,…

  2. Multiple Literacies, Curriculum, and Instruction in Early Childhood and Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Joanne

    2006-01-01

    This article describes some implications of using a multiple literacies perspective in the construction and implementation of literacy curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment in early childhood and elementary classrooms. After briefly laying out a theoretical perspective in sections focusing on early literacy, academic learning, literacy beyond…

  3. Impact of instructional Approaches to Teaching Elementary Science on Student Achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kensinger, Seth H.

    Strengthening our science education in the United States is essential to the future success of our country in the global marketplace. Immersing our elementary students with research-based quality science instruction is a critical component to build a strong foundation and motivate our students to become interested in science. The research for this study pertained to the type of elementary science instruction in correlation to academic achievement and gender. Through this study, the researcher answered the following questions: 1. What is the difference in achievement for elementary students who have been taught using one of the three science instructional approaches analyzed in this study: traditional science instruction, inquiry-based science instruction with little or no professional development and inquiry-based science instruction with high-quality professional development? 2. What is the difference in student achievement between inquiry-based instruction and non-inquiry based (traditional) instruction? 3. What is the difference in student achievement between inquiry with high quality professional development and inquiry with little or no professional development? 4. Do the three instructional approaches have differentiated effects across gender? The student achievement was measured using the 2010 fourth grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in Science. Data was collected from 15 elementary schools forming three main groupings of similar schools based on the results from the 2009 third grade PSSA in Mathematics and student and community demographics. In addition, five sub-group triads were formed to further analyze the data and each sub-group was composed of schools with matching demographic data. Each triad contained a school using a traditional approach to teaching science, a school utilizing an inquiry science approach with little or no professional development, and a school incorporating inquiry science instruction with high quality

  4. Instruction, Teacher–Student Relations, and Math Achievement Trajectories in Elementary School

    PubMed Central

    Crosnoe, Robert; Morrison, Fred; Burchinal, Margaret; Pianta, Robert; Keating, Daniel; Friedman, Sarah L.; Clarke-Stewart, K. Alison

    2010-01-01

    Children enter elementary school with widely different skill levels in core subjects. Whether because of differences in aptitude or in preparedness, these initial skill differences often translate into systematic disparities in achievement over time. How can teachers reduce these disparities? Three possibilities are to offer basic skills training, to expose students to higher order instruction, or to provide socioemotional support. Repeated measures analyses of longitudinal data from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development revealed that children with low, average, or high math skills prior to elementary school followed different but parallel trajectories of math achievement up through fifth grade. When enrolled in classes with inference-based instruction, however, the initially least skilled children narrowed the achievement gap as long as they did not have conflictual relations with their teachers. They did not make this kind of progress if they were in classes focused exclusively on basic skills instruction or if they were in inference-focused classes but had conflictual relations with teachers. PMID:20657743

  5. Cognitive Structures of Elementary School Students: What Is Science?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armagan, Fulya Öner

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the change in the cognitive structures of elementary school students in respect to the concept of science through word association test in a constructivist approach based project. The study was conducted with 50 students attending to 6th and 7th grades. Students were applied a 90-minute activity in scope of the…

  6. Student Teachers' Management Practices in Elementary Classrooms: A Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hildenbrand, Susan M.; Arndt, Katrina

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study of four student teachers completing certification in elementary and special education investigated the classroom management practices of the student teachers. This is an important area of study because management practices are essential for an effective classroom, and student teachers often lack confidence and skill in the…

  7. "Mathematics Is Like a Lion": Elementary Students' Beliefs about Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markovits, Zvia; Forgasz, Helen

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the beliefs of elementary school students about mathematics and about themselves as mathematics learners. The participants, Israeli grade 4 and grade 6 students, completed questionnaires. Using an "animal metaphor" to tap beliefs, some students perceived mathematics as difficult and complicated, while…

  8. Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Sheftall, Arielle H; Asti, Lindsey; Horowitz, Lisa M; Felts, Adrienne; Fontanella, Cynthia A; Campo, John V; Bridge, Jeffrey A

    2016-10-01

    Suicide in elementary school-aged children is not well studied, despite a recent increase in the suicide rate among US black children. The objectives of this study were to describe characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in elementary school-aged children relative to early adolescent decedents and identify potential within-group racial differences. We analyzed National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) surveillance data capturing suicide deaths from 2003 to 2012 for 17 US states. Participants included all suicide decedents aged 5 to 14 years (N = 693). Age group comparisons (5-11 years and 12-14 years) were conducted by using the χ 2 test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. Compared with early adolescents who died by suicide, children who died by suicide were more commonly male, black, died by hanging/strangulation/suffocation, and died at home. Children who died by suicide more often experienced relationship problems with family members/friends (60.3% vs 46.0%; P = .02) and less often experienced boyfriend/girlfriend problems (0% vs 16.0%; P < .001) or left a suicide note (7.7% vs 30.2%; P < .001). Among suicide decedents with known mental health problems (n = 210), childhood decedents more often experienced attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (59.3% vs 29.0%; P = .002) and less often experienced depression/dysthymia (33.3% vs 65.6%; P = .001) compared with early adolescent decedents. These findings raise questions about impulsive responding to psychosocial adversity in younger suicide decedents, and they suggest a need for both common and developmentally-specific suicide prevention strategies during the elementary school-aged and early adolescent years. Further research should investigate factors associated with the recent increase in suicide rates among black children. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  9. Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Sheftall, Arielle H.; Asti, Lindsey; Horowitz, Lisa M.; Felts, Adrienne; Fontanella, Cynthia A.; Campo, John V.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Suicide in elementary school–aged children is not well studied, despite a recent increase in the suicide rate among US black children. The objectives of this study were to describe characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in elementary school–aged children relative to early adolescent decedents and identify potential within-group racial differences. METHODS: We analyzed National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) surveillance data capturing suicide deaths from 2003 to 2012 for 17 US states. Participants included all suicide decedents aged 5 to 14 years (N = 693). Age group comparisons (5–11 years and 12–14 years) were conducted by using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. RESULTS: Compared with early adolescents who died by suicide, children who died by suicide were more commonly male, black, died by hanging/strangulation/suffocation, and died at home. Children who died by suicide more often experienced relationship problems with family members/friends (60.3% vs 46.0%; P = .02) and less often experienced boyfriend/girlfriend problems (0% vs 16.0%; P < .001) or left a suicide note (7.7% vs 30.2%; P < .001). Among suicide decedents with known mental health problems (n = 210), childhood decedents more often experienced attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (59.3% vs 29.0%; P = .002) and less often experienced depression/dysthymia (33.3% vs 65.6%; P = .001) compared with early adolescent decedents. CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise questions about impulsive responding to psychosocial adversity in younger suicide decedents, and they suggest a need for both common and developmentally-specific suicide prevention strategies during the elementary school–aged and early adolescent years. Further research should investigate factors associated with the recent increase in suicide rates among black children. PMID:27647716

  10. Turkish Elementary and Secondary Students' Views about Science and Scientist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akcay, Behiye

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine elementary and secondary students' views concerning science and scientists. Data gathered from Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) and essays written by students were used to analyze their views. The study involved 359 students in grades 5 through 11. The results indicate that student's perceived scientists as to be…

  11. Social competence intervention for elementary students with Aspergers syndrome and high functioning autism.

    PubMed

    Stichter, Janine P; O'Connor, Karen V; Herzog, Melissa J; Lierheimer, Kristin; McGhee, Stephanie D

    2012-03-01

    Despite frequent reports of academic success, individuals with high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome (HFA/AS) often manifest deficits in social abilities. These deficits can lead to daily difficulties, and negative long-term outcomes. Deficits in social competency are evident in this population from an early age, as children with HFA/AS present unique challenges relating to peers, interpreting complex contextual cues, and transitioning across settings. A paucity of social interventions exist that target elementary-age children with HFA/AS and their combination of core social competence deficit areas: theory of mind (ToM), emotional recognition, and executive functioning. The current study expanded on the Social Competence Intervention (for adolescents; SCI-A), as detailed in Stichter et al. (J Autism Dev Disorders 40:1067-1079, 2010), by adjusting the curriculum to meet the needs of an elementary population. Results indicate significant improvements on direct assessments measuring theory of mind and problem solving, and parent perceptions of overall social abilities and executive functioning for 20 students, aged 6-10, with HFA/AS. The elementary SCI program appears promising, however, additional replications are necessary including expansion to school settings.

  12. Outdoor Education Activities for Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Connie L.

    Outdoor education is an informal method of teaching and learning which offers opportunities for elementary school students, regardless of intellectual abilities, to learn about and appreciate their environment and acquire skills with which to enjoy a lifetime of creative, productive, and healthful living. Outdoor education can enrich, vitalize,…

  13. Cognitive Profiles and Early Reading Remediation of At-Risk Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parrila, R. K.; Das, J. P.

    Sixty-one grade 1 students experiencing early reading difficulties received either a cognitive remediation program (PREP; PASS Remediation Program) designed to facilitate successive and simultaneous processing skills, or a meaning-based language enrichment program designed to provide children with meaningful experiences in reading. Repeated…

  14. Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Elementary Age Students with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cote, Debra L.; Jones, Vita L.; Barnett, Crystal; Pavelek, Karin; Nguyen, Hoang; Sparks, Shannon L.

    2014-01-01

    Students with disabilities need problem-solving skills to promote their success in solving the problems of daily life. The research into problem-solving instruction has been limited for students with autism. Using a problem-solving intervention and the Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction, three elementary age students with autism were…

  15. Perceptual Preferences of Mathematically Deficient Elementary Students: Implications for Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoy, Leah P.

    Two groups of elementary school students were tested and compared on learning style perceptual preference. One group was comprised of 11 students identified as being in need of remedial instruction in mathematics. The other group consisted of eight average/above average students experiencing slight or no difficulties in mathematics. Grade levels…

  16. Impact through Images: Exploring Student Understanding of Environmental Science through Integrated Place-Based Lessons in the Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muthersbaugh, Debbie; Kern, Anne L.; Charvoz, Rebecca

    2014-01-01

    In the early 1800s, the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson assembled a team of explorers led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to forge a waterway connecting the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. How has this environment changed in 200 years and how do elementary students make sense of those changes? This study looks at the impact of…

  17. The Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Their Efforts to Help Students Utilize Student-to-Student Discourse in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craddock, Jennifer Lovejoy

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers who teach science as opposed to science teacher specialists regarding their efforts to help students use student-to-student discourse for improving science learning. A growing body of research confirms the importance of a) student-to-student discourse…

  18. Using Anticipatory Reading Guides to Improve Elementary Students' Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ortlieb, Evan

    2013-01-01

    One of the greatest challenges of an elementary school teacher is equipping students with comprehension strategies that transfer to all content areas. With stable levels of reading achievement over the last two decades in the United States, it is necessary that further research be conducted on methods of increasing students' comprehension…

  19. Improving Recreational Reading Habits of Elementary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krug, Marline; Fordonski, Patricia

    A study investigated the effectiveness of a program for improving the recreational reading habits of elementary students through the use of cross-age tutoring in critical reading strategies. The targeted population consisted of a kindergarten and a fourth-grade class in the growing upper-middle-class community of Geneva, Illinois, located…

  20. Teacher-Student Interactions during Read Alouds in the Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rouech, Kristina E.

    2013-01-01

    Reading aloud to students is an important topic in educational research. Previous research clearly identified effective components and benefits of reading aloud to elementary students; however, very little data addresses the exact wording of the kinds of questions teachers ask and the responses that students give during a read aloud. This study…

  1. Design Thinking in Elementary Students' Collaborative Lamp Designing Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kangas, Kaiju; Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, Pirita; Hakkarainen, Kai

    2013-01-01

    Design and Technology education is potentially a rich environment for successful learning, if the management of the whole design process is emphasised, and students' design thinking is promoted. The aim of the present study was to unfold the collaborative design process of one team of elementary students, in order to understand their multimodal…

  2. Strategies to Increase Student Attendance at an Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzpatrick-Doria, Geraldine Ann

    2013-01-01

    This action research study addressed the need to increase student attendance at an elementary school. Previously, this school's Average Daily Attendance (ADA) has been 92%. With having nearly 900 students, there are approximately 70 daily absences, 1,400 monthly absences, and 13,000 yearly absences. To address the challenge, the researcher…

  3. Motivation: The Value of Developing Intrinsic Motivation in Elementary School Students in Grades Four through Six

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerstner, Gary M.

    2017-01-01

    This study sought to fill the gap in the literature concerning intrinsic motivation in elementary students in Grades 4-6 by examining 155 elementary school students and in-depth interviews with three elementary grade teachers. This study used data collected from the self-report survey called the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory…

  4. Examining LGBTQ-Based Literature Intended for Primary and Intermediate Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bickford, John H., III

    2018-01-01

    This content analysis research examined how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and issues are represented in elementary-level trade books. The data pool included every LGBTQ-based trade book with intended audiences of primary (grades K-2) and intermediate (grades 3-5) elementary students. Trade books…

  5. Lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms among elementary school students and junior high school students.

    PubMed

    Isshiki, Yuriko; Morimoto, Kanehisa

    2004-05-01

    To examine the relationship between lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms in children, we conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey of elementary school students and junior high school students in Japan. We designed an original questionnaire to investigate the lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms of children. In 1997, responses to the questionnaires were elicited from public elementary school fourth grade students (then aged 9-10) and public junior high school seventh grade students (then aged 12-13). The survey was repeated annually for three years as the students advanced through school. For both boys and girls, each cross-sectional analysis revealed a strong relationship between lifestyle behaviors and psychosomatic symptoms. Psychosomatic, symptoms scores varied according to daily hours of sleep, eating of breakfast, having strong likes and dislikes of food, bowel habits, and daily hours of television watching. Both boys and girls with "good" lifestyle, behaviors evaluated by the HPI (Health Practice Index) showed lower scores for psychosomatic symptoms. These findings show that the lifestyle behaviors of children are significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms and suggest that poor lifestyle behaviors are likely to increase physical and psychological health risks.

  6. Consent Form Return Rates for Third-Grade Urban Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ji, Peter; Flay, Brian R.; Phil, D.; DuBois, David L.; Brechling, Vanessa; Day, Joseph; Cantillon, Dan

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To maximize active parent consent form return rates for third-grade minority, urban students enrolled in predominantly low-income elementary schools in Chicago, Ill. Methods: Research staff used a class incentive and class visits to retrieve consent forms from students. Results: Of the 811 third-grade students, 98% returned a form and …

  7. Student Growth in Elementary Mathematics: A Cross Level Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Seong Hee

    2012-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effect of knowledge for teaching mathematics and teaching practice on student mathematics achievement growth. Thirty two teachers and 299 fourth grade students in three elementary schools from one school district in urban area participated in the study. Most of them are Hispanic in origin and…

  8. Elementary School Students' Mental Models about Formation of Seasons: A Cross Sectional Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Türk, Cumhur; Kalkan, Hüseyin; Kiroglu, Kasim; Ocak Iskeleli, Nazan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the mental models of elementary school students on seasons and to analyze how these models change in terms of grade levels. The study was conducted with 294 students (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders) studying in an elementary school of Turkey's Black Sea Region. Qualitative and quantitative data collection…

  9. Bringing Female Scientists into the Elementary Classroom: Confronting the Strength of Elementary Students' Stereotypical Images of Scientists.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buck, Gayle A.; Leslie-Pelecky, Diandra; Kirby, Susan K.

    2002-01-01

    Explores the effectiveness of bringing female scientists into elementary classrooms to promote change in the stereotypical images of scientists. Indicates that despite the efforts of the scientists to encourage students to question their image of a scientist, students held onto stereotypical images. Uses both qualitative and quantitative methods…

  10. Measurement Invariance and Validity of a Brief Questionnaire on Reading Motivation in Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stutz, Franziska; Schaffner, Ellen; Schiefele, Ulrich

    2017-01-01

    In order to initiate more research on the role of reading motivation during the initial stages of learning to comprehend texts, we developed the "Reading Motivation Questionnaire for Elementary Students" (RMQ-E). The sample comprised 1497 elementary students in Grades 1-3. By means of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, three…

  11. Promoting Elementary School Students' Autonomous Reading Motivation: Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Naeghel, Jessie; Van Keer, Hilde; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Haerens, Leen; Aelterman, Nathalie

    2016-01-01

    Responding to the declining trend in reading motivation in and beyond the elementary school years, the authors aimed to enhance late-elementary school students' autonomous reading motivation. Toward this end, the authors evaluated the influence of a teacher professional development grounded in self-determination theory on fifth-grade students' (n…

  12. Distance Learning for Gifted Students: Outcomes for Elementary, Middle, and High School Aged Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallace, Patricia

    2009-01-01

    Although distance learning often is cited as a potentially useful strategy to provide appropriately challenging academic coursework to gifted students, little research has been conducted on its use or effectiveness with this population, particularly with younger students in elementary school. In this study, distance learning outcomes for gifted…

  13. Group Counseling for African American Elementary Students: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steen, Sam

    2009-01-01

    This article describes a group counseling intervention promoting academic achievement and ethnic identity development for twenty fifth grade African American elementary students. The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) scores of students participating in the treatment group improved significantly over those in the control group. Implications…

  14. Handling Students with ADHD Syndrome in Regular Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Opic, Siniša; Kudek Miroševic, Jasna

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this longitudinal research is to explore the way teachers treat students with diagnosed ADHD syndrome within the process of education. The research has been conducted on a sample of 45 students, medically diagnosed with ADHD and attending five elementary schools in the area of the city of Zagreb, school year 2008./2009, and 45 control…

  15. Elementary School Literacy: Critical Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dreher, Mariam Jean, Ed.; Slater, Wayne H., Ed.

    Providing a thorough grounding on important topics in elementary school literacy for experienced teachers and graduate students early in their programs, this book addresses a number of critical issues such as grouping and reading instruction, emergent literacy, learning to read and write with at-risk children, developing vocabulary, learning in…

  16. Anxiety in Elementary School-Aged Students: A Growing Need for Interventions by Classroom Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Carla-Dyann

    2013-01-01

    Anxiety symptoms expressed by elementary school-aged students was a problem in an elementary school south of Atlanta, Georgia. These behaviors were negatively impacting the performance and behaviors of fourth and fifth grade students in and out of the educational environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if teaching anxiety reduction…

  17. The Impact of Guided Reading Instruction on Elementary Students' Reading Fluency and Accuracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teets, Agnes Jean

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the impact of Guided Reading instruction on elementary students' ability to read with fluency and accuracy. A one-way analysis of covariance with pre and posttest design was performed and applied to determine the impact of Guided Reading instruction on elementary students' reading fluency and accuracy. The sample of subjects…

  18. Graduate Student Outreach: Model of a One-Day "Chemistry Camp" for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houck, Joseph D.; Machamer, Natalie K.; Erickson, Karla A.

    2014-01-01

    One-day chemistry camps, managed by graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM), have proven successful as an outreach initiative. The camp model engages kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school students in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments to educate and excite…

  19. Assessing Specific Grapho-Phonemic Skills in Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Kelly P.; Hosp, John L.; Hosp, Michelle K.; Flynn, Lindsay J.

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the relation between decoding and spelling performance on tasks that represent identical specific grapho-phonemic patterns. Elementary students (N = 206) were administered a 597 pseudoword decoding inventory representing 12 specific grapho-phonemic patterns and a 104 real-word spelling inventory representing identical…

  20. An Exploration of Elementary School Counselors' Perceptions of Students' Exposure to Violent Video Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woody, Tammy Lynn

    2010-01-01

    This study explored elementary school counselors' perceptions of working with students exposed to violent video games. Certified elementary school counselors participated in both an online survey and individual interviews, revealing their observations regarding elementary school children and the phenomenon of gaming. An emphasis was placed on…

  1. Prioritizing Elementary School Writing Instruction: Cultivating Middle School Readiness for Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciullo, Stephen; Mason, Linda

    2017-01-01

    Helping elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) prepare for the rigor of middle school writing is an instructional priority. Fortunately, several standards-based skills in upper elementary school and middle school overlap. Teachers in upper elementary grades, specifically fourth and fifth grades, have the opportunity to provide…

  2. Advantaged/Disadvantaged School Neighborhoods, Parental Networks, and Parental Involvement at Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Angran; Fischer, Mary J.

    2017-01-01

    This article examines the relationship between parental networks and parental school involvement during the elementary school years. Using a large, nationally representative data set of elementary school students--the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort--and contextual data from the 2000 U.S. Census, our multilevel analysis…

  3. Student Teacher Thinking: A Comparative Study of Elementary and Secondary Student Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galluzzo, Gary L.; Minix, Nancy A.

    1992-01-01

    Using videotaped simulated recall interviews, researchers assessed elementary and secondary student teachers' thoughts and concerns. Both groups considered pupil learning the greatest concern. There were consistent differences in how the groups perceived classroom interactions. Both groups addressed a narrower range of concerns regarding teaching…

  4. Careers in STEM Begin with Elementary Student Interest in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brimmer, Linda Ertrachter

    2017-01-01

    I investigated why math capable students are not entering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. To research the problem, I explored how highly effective elementary math teachers (HEMT) create student interest in mathematics using the self- efficacy (SE) theory and information and communication technology (ICT). The purpose of…

  5. How African-American Elementary Students in High-Poverty Schools Experience Creative Expression: A Case Study Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willis, Belinda F.

    2016-01-01

    Literature that addresses how the arts enhance student learning through creative expression is minimal. This is especially true for African-American elementary students from high-poverty backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to employ a case study design to explore how African-American elementary students in high-poverty schools experience…

  6. Desegregation and Black Students' Experiences in Two Rural Southern Elementary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goetz, Judith Preissle; Breneman, E. Anne Rowley

    1988-01-01

    Uses Boocock's model of the social context of education to compare divergent climates for Black students in two rural southern elementary schools. In both schools Black and White teachers and students use an assumed color blindness and a preoccupation with subject matter to mask differential treatment of Black students. (SKC)

  7. Creativity in the Elementary Music Classroom: A Study of Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coulson, Andrea N.; Burke, Brigid M.

    2013-01-01

    This research explored essential elements to be considered when teaching US students to develop and define creativity in the general elementary (students aged 5-11 years) music classroom. This case study focused on answering the following research questions: 1) What are students' perceptions of creativity? 2) How can music educators successfully…

  8. A Cross Age Study of Elementary Students' Motivation towards Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guvercin, Ozge; Tekkaya, Ceren; Sungur, Semra

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of grade level and gender on elementary school students' motivation towards science learning. A total of 2231 sixth and eight grade students participated in the study. Data were collected through Students' Motivation towards Science Learning Questionnaire. Two-way Multivariate Analysis of…

  9. A Career Needs Comparison of Elementary School Teachers and Undergraduate Students in an Elementary School Teacher Preparation Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzgerald, Sheila M.

    To determine if the career needs of undergraduate students entering a teacher preparation program would be similar to the needs expressed by experienced teachers on the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIP), the responses of 100 undergraduate elementary education students at Michigan State University were compared to those of 178 career…

  10. Elementary Teachers' Experiences of Departmentalized Instruction and Its Impact on Student Affect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minott, Robert Charles

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative dissertation was to explore the lived experiences of departmentalized elementary teachers, Grades 1-3, and how they addressed their students' affective needs. The main research question of the study was how do elementary school teachers perceive departmentalized instruction and describe their experiences of this…

  11. Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms: Teaching Practices of Student Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ping

    2016-01-01

    This study examines how and why student teachers integrated technology to enhance instruction in elementary classrooms. The participants were 31 student teachers who completed an assignment of eight weeks. Multiple data sets including observation notes of 347 lessons were obtained from three key groups for data triangulation. Results reveal that…

  12. Elementary School Students' Strategic Learning: Does Task-Type Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malmberg, Jonna; Järvelä, Sanna; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated what types of learning patterns and strategies elementary school students use to carry out ill- and well-structured tasks. Specifically, it was investigated which and when learning patterns actually emerge with respect to students' task solutions. The present study uses computer log file traces to investigate how…

  13. Fostering Elementary Students' Mathematics Disposition through Music-Mathematics Integrated Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    An, Song A.; Tillman, Daniel A.; Boren, Rachel; Wang, Junjun

    2014-01-01

    Two classes of third grade students (n = 56) from an elementary school located on the western coast of the United States participated in this research study. A pretest-posttest control group design was utilized to examine changes between two groups of participating students' in mathematics achievement and dispositions, including beliefs about…

  14. Principals and School Factors that Impact Elementary School Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gieselmann, Sharon

    2009-01-01

    This study examined principals and school factors associated with elementary school student achievement. Nine predictor variables were analyzed to determine their impact on student state assessment scores: (a) years of principal experience, (b) years of teaching experience by the principal, (c) years of principal experience at present site, (d)…

  15. The school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We are attempting to uncover the school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students. Data was collected within a time frame for the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) set at two months at the WT Cheney Elementary School and South Wood Elementary for 4th grade stud...

  16. Engineering education for youth: Diverse elementary school students' experiences with engineering design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hegedus, Theresa

    Lingering concerns over the persistent achievement gap amidst the trend of an increasingly diverse society have been compounded by calls from the Oval Office, the National Science Board, and nationwide media to also address our current creativity crisis. Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to produce a STEM-capable (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce to meet the demands of our rapidly changing local and global economic landscape. Barriers exist in our traditional educational system, which has historically limited underrepresented groups' affiliation and membership in the disciplines of science and engineering. The recent incorporation of engineering into the latest science education reform efforts presents an opportunity to expose students as early as elementary school to engineering practices and habits of mind, which have the potential to stimulate creative thinking skills through engineering design. This qualitative study was designed to examine the ways in which engineering education has the potential to promote creativity and academic competence in elementary science classrooms. As a part of my study, a diverse group of students from two fifth-grade classrooms took part in a 10-12 hour, engineering-based curriculum unit (Engineering is Elementary) during their regular science instructional time. Using a sociocultural lens, to include cultural production and identities in practice as part of my framework, I analyzed group and individual performances through classroom observations, student interviews, and teacher reflections to better understand the meaning students made of their experiences with engineering. Findings from the study included the ways in which creativity was culturally produced in the classroom to include: 1) idea generation; 2) design and innovation; 3) gumption/resourcefulness; and 4) social value. Opportunities for collaboration increased through each stage of the unit culminating with the design challenge

  17. Korean Elementary School Students' English Learning Demotivation: A Comparative Survey Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Tae-Young

    2011-01-01

    This study explores Korean elementary school students' decreased motivation for English learning by analyzing the questionnaire data obtained from 6,301 students in a large city in South Korea. The students' school grades and their prior experience in private institutes were considered as the major factors behind the decrease in their motivation.…

  18. Fifth-Grade Turkish Elementary School Students' Listening and Reading Comprehension Levels with Regard to Text Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildirim, Kasim; Yildiz, Mustafa; Ates, Seyit; Rasinski, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine fifth grade elementary school students' listening and reading comprehension levels with regard to text types. This study was conducted on 180 fifth grade elementary school students in Sincan-Ankara in the spring semester of the academic year 2008-2009. The comprehension test was administered to students. The…

  19. PREVALENCE OF SCOLIOSIS IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

    PubMed Central

    Ciaccia, Maria Célia Cunha; de Castro, Julia Silvestre; Rahal, Mariana Abduch; Penatti, Barbarah Silveira; Selegatto, Iara Borin; Giampietro, João Lucas Morette; Rullo, Vera Esteves Vagnozzi

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of scoliosis and the risk factors in elementary school students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 954 students in 2015. The instrument involved was a questionnaire on postural habits, socioeconomic conditions, and demographic factors. The anthropometric measurements, including height and weight, a visual inspection of the deformity of the vertebral column, the leveling of shoulders, and the Adam’s test were obtained. The sample was calculated in the expected frequency of 12.3%, acceptable error rate of 2.0% and confidence level of 95.0%. To compare the proportions, the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was applied. The association between scoliosis and risk factors was evaluated by logistic regression, being significant p <0.05. Results: The prevalence of scoliosis was 24.3%, higher in obese patients and students who adopted a sitting position for a long period of time. Obese students showed a 1.8 times higher chance of testing positive Adam’s Forward Bend Test when compared to normal-weight/lean and 2.1 times higher chance compared to overweight students. The sitting position for watching television increases the chance of testing positive Adam’s test in 38.0%, when compared to the lying position. Obesity increases the risk of testing positive Adam’s test in 74.0 and 98.0%, when compared, respectively, to the underweight/normal weight and overweight. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of scoliosis in students from public elementary schools in Santos. The most influential factors for this deviation of the spine were obesity and the position adopted by students to watch television. PMID:28977336

  20. Parents' and Teachers' Views on the Psychosocial Adjustment of Students with and without a History of Early Grade Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anastasiou, Andri I.; Papachristou, Eleni M.; Diakidoy, Irene-Anna N.

    2017-01-01

    The study compared teachers' and parents' views about elementary school children's psychosocial adjustment with and without a history of early grade retention. The sample included retained and non-retained students currently in Grades Two and Four (age range 7.5 to 11.6 years) in Cypriot public schools. The retained students experienced early…

  1. Friendship Concept and Community Network Structure among Elementary School and University Students.

    PubMed

    Hernández-Hernández, Ana María; Viga-de Alva, Dolores; Huerta-Quintanilla, Rodrigo; Canto-Lugo, Efrain; Laviada-Molina, Hugo; Molina-Segui, Fernanda

    2016-01-01

    We use complex network theory to study the differences between the friendship concepts in elementary school and university students. Four friendship networks were identified from surveys. Three of these networks are from elementary schools; two are located in the rural area of Yucatán and the other is in the urban area of Mérida, Yucatán. We analyzed the structure and the communities of these friendship networks and found significant differences among those at the elementary schools compared with those at the university. In elementary schools, the students make friends mainly in the same classroom, but there are also links among different classrooms because of the presence of siblings and relatives in the schools. These kinds of links (sibling-friend or relative-friend) are called, in this work, "mixed links". The classification of the communities is based on their similarity with the classroom composition. If the community is composed principally of students in different classrooms, the community is classified as heterogeneous. These kinds of communities appear in the elementary school friendship networks mainly because of the presence of relatives and siblings. Once the links between siblings and relatives are removed, the communities resembled the classroom composition. On the other hand, the university students are more selective in choosing friends and therefore, even when they have friends in the same classroom, those communities are quite different to the classroom composition. Also, in the university network, we found heterogeneous communities even when the presence of sibling and relatives is negligible. These differences made up a topological structure quite different at different academic levels. We also found differences in the network characteristics. Once these differences are understood, the topological structure of the friendship network and the communities shaped in an elementary school could be predicted if we know the total number of students

  2. Preservice Elementary Students Meet Sagan's "Demon-Haunted World."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Mike

    This paper describes a course in which preservice elementary teachers read and discussed "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan. Students discussed their beliefs about the nature of science, teaching, and learning. The paper concludes that preservice teachers appeared to develop reflective and critical…

  3. Children's Understanding of Lies in Elementary School Years.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Hajimu

    2017-01-01

    The author examined whether children's understanding of lies exhibits developmental trends in the elementary school years. Four story contexts were presented to 51 first-grade students, 44 fourth-grade students, and 58 adults. These stories represented combinations of a protagonist's intention (truthful or deceptive) and the truth of the protagonist's message (true or false). The results showed that adults judged whether these messages were lies by considering the protagonist's intentions. By contrast, approximately 30% of first-grade students and some fourth-grade students did not consider intentions in making judgments, although they appropriately predicted the outcomes of the messages. These results suggest that children in the early elementary school years have a conception of lies different from that of adults, and their conception of lies becomes more sophisticated after middle childhood.

  4. Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; SanMiguel, Sandra

    2015-01-01

    This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students’ aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of science. The curriculum was developed by a research-based university program and has been put into practice in two early elementary classrooms in an urban school in the Midwest. An attitudinal rating survey and the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) were used to assess pre to post changes in student attitudes toward science, perceptions of scientists, perceived relevance of science, and aspiration for science careers. Findings indicated that the implementation of this curriculum contributed positively to student attitudes toward science, decreased students’ stereotypical images of scientists, and increased student aspirations to become a scientist. PMID:26726271

  5. Does exposure to GSM 900 MHz mobile phone radiation affect short-term memory of elementary school students?

    PubMed Central

    Movvahedi, M. M.; Tavakkoli-Golpayegani, A.; Mortazavi, S. A. R.; Haghani, M.; Razi, Z.; Shojaie-fard, M. B.; Zare, M.; Mina, E.; Mansourabadi, L.; Nazari-Jahromi; Safari, A.; Shokrpour, N.; Mortazavi, S. M. J.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Now-a-days, children are exposed to mobile phone radiation at a very early age. We have previously shown that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz, Iran use mobile phones. Furthermore, we have indicated that the visual reaction time (VRT) of university students was significantly affected by a 10 min real/sham exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phone. We found that these exposures decreased the reaction time which might lead to a better response to different hazards. We have also revealed that occupational exposures to radar radiations decreased the reaction time in radar workers. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether short-term exposure of elementary school students to radiofrequency (RF) radiation leads to changes in their reaction time and short-term memory. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 elementary school children ages ranging from 8 to 10 years studying at a public elementary school in Shiraz, Iran were enrolled in this study. Standardized computer-based tests of VRT and short-term memory (modified for children) were administered. The students were asked to perform some preliminary tests for orientation with the VRT test. After orientation, to reduce the random variation of measurements, each test was repeated ten times in both real and sham exposure phases. The time interval between the two subsequent sham and real exposure phases was 30 min. Results: The mean ± standard deviation reaction times after a 10 min talk period and after a 10 min sham exposure (switched off mobile) period were 249.0 ± 82.3 ms and 252.9 ± 68.2 ms (P = 0.629), respectively. On the other hand, the mean short-term memory scores after the talk and sham exposure periods were 1062.60 ± 305.39, and 1003.84 ± 339.68 (P = 0.030), respectively. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that short-term exposure of elementary school students to RF radiation leads to the better performance of

  6. Striking the Right Balance: Students' Motivation and Affect in Elementary Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schweinle, Amy; Meyer, Debra K.; Turner, Julianne C.

    2006-01-01

    The authors explored the relationship between motivation and affect in upper elementary mathematics classes from the perspective of flow theory. They also investigated the relationship between students' motivation and teachers' instructional practices. Students' reported classroom experiences formed 4 factors--Social Affect, Personal Affect,…

  7. Relationship between cognitive functions and prevalence of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students.

    PubMed

    Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2011-06-01

    Fatigue is a common complaint among elementary and junior high school students, and is related to poor academic performance. Since grade-dependent development of cognitive functions also influences academic performance, we attempted to determine whether cognitive functions were associated with the prevalence of fatigue. Participants were 148 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 152 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades. Participants completed a questionnaire about fatigue (Japanese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale) and paper-and-pencil and computerized cognitive tests which could evaluate the abilities of motor processing, immediate, delayed and working memory, selective, divided and alternative attention, retrieve learned material, and spatial construction. We found that in multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for grade and gender, slow motor processing was positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the elementary school students and decreases in working memory and divided and alternative attention processing were positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the junior high school students. The grade-dependent development of cognitive function influences the severity of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Cross-Cultural Examination of Test Anxiety among US and Singapore Students on the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowe, Patricia A.; Ang, Rebecca P.

    2012-01-01

    In the present study, the similarity of the factor structure of the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E) and cultural and gender differences in test anxiety were examined in a sample of 1322 US and Singapore elementary students. The similarity of the factor structure of the TAS-E, a measure of test anxiety, was examined to determine…

  9. Urban Elementary Students' Views of Environmental Scientists, Environmental Caretakers and Environmentally Responsible Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horne, Patricia Lynne

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of the relationship between urban elementary fifth graders, environmental workers, and the environment. The study examined 320 urban fifth grade elementary students' drawings of environmental scientists (DAEST) and environmental caretakers (DAECT). Additionally, semi-structured interviews…

  10. Inquire Learning Effects to Elementary School Students' Nanotechnology Instructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Yueh-Yun; Lu, Chow-Chin; Sung, Chia-Chi

    2012-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging science that involved in different fields. This research inquired elementary school students' learning effect by using quasi-experiment, expositive-teaching and experiential-teaching methods for nanotechnology in the microcosmic world. By utilized the pretest "Nanotechnology Situational Questionnaire (NSQ)",…

  11. The Effects of Teaching Notetaking Strategies on Elementary Students' Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Pai-Lin; Lan, William; Hamman, Douglas; Hendricks, Bret

    2008-01-01

    The research examined effects of notetaking instruction on elementary-aged students' abilities to recall science information and their notetaking behaviors. Classes of eight to nine years old third grade students were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: strategic notetaking, partial strategic notetaking, and control, for four training…

  12. Predictors of Academic Achievement for Elementary Teacher Education Students in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buyukozturk, Sener

    2004-01-01

    Studies examining the important predictors of academic achievement of elementary teacher education students help us to understand the predictors of student achievement. These studies (House, 2000b; Ting & Bryant, 2001; Zheng, Saunders, Shelley, & Whalen, 2002)focus on the relationship between academic achievement and a number of cognitive…

  13. Elementary Coteachers' Understanding about Differentiated Instructional Practices for Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Betty Smith

    2016-01-01

    Despite a rural Georgia school district's effort to increase the academic performance of all students, the achievement gap persists between general education and special education students. The purpose of the study was to explore what factors hindered coteachers from consistently applying differentiated instruction in elementary inclusion…

  14. Social Effects of Integrated Classrooms and Resource Room/ Regular Class Placements on Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madge, Sally; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Social status of learning-disabled (LD) elementary students served by the Integrated Classroom Model was compared to that of LD elementary students in a regular class with resource room support. Results suggest that, although both groups had lower social status than nondisabled peers, ICM students blended into the classroom better. (Author/PB)

  15. Factors Affecting the Happiness of Urban Elementary School Students: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tenney, Jodiann K.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this transformative mixed methods study was to examine the school happiness of upper elementary students in three Connecticut urban demonstration schools. The study examined the differences in students' happiness based on ethnicity, gender, and their interaction. It also investigated the factors that affect students' happiness in…

  16. Multiple Goals and Homework Involvement in Elementary School Students.

    PubMed

    Valle, Antonio; Pan, Irene; Núñez, José C; Rodríguez, Susana; Rosário, Pedro; Regueiro, Bibiana

    2015-10-27

    This work arises from the need to investigate the role of motivational variables in homework involvement and academic achievement of elementary school students. The aims of this study are twofold: identifying the different combinations of student academic goals and analyzing the differences in homework involvement and academic achievement. The sample was composed of 535 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students, between the ages of 9 and 13 years old. Findings showed three groups with different motivational profiles: a group of students with high multiple goals, another group with a learning goal orientation and a third group defined by a low multiple goals profile. Focusing on the differences between groups, it was observed that the amount of time doing homework was not associated with any motivational profile. Nevertheless, the differences were statistically significant between the motivational groups in the amount of homework (F(2, 530) = 42.59; p < .001; ηp 2 = .138), in the management of time spent on homework (F(2, 530) = 33.08; p < .001; ηp 2 = .111), and in academic achievement (F(2, 530) = 33.99; p < .001; ηp 2 = .114). The effect size was large for the amount of homework performed and was also relatively large in the case of management of time and academic achievement.

  17. It's Elementary: Special Topics in Elementary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Patricia A., Ed.; Burriss, Kathleen Glascott, Ed.

    As elementary teachers work to educate and meet the needs of the students in their care, their job has become increasingly challenging and demanding. This volume addresses a variety of issues and topics related to elementary education around eight sectional themes relevant to the work of elementary teachers: celebrating diversity, classroom…

  18. Does Text Complexity Matter in the Elementary Grades? A Research Synthesis of Text Difficulty and Elementary Students' Reading Fluency and Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amendum, Steven J.; Conradi, Kristin; Hiebert, Elfrieda

    2018-01-01

    Prompted by the advent of new standards for increased text complexity in elementary classrooms in the USA, the current integrative review investigates the relationships between the level of text difficulty and elementary students' reading fluency and reading comprehension. After application of content and methodological criteria, a total of 26…

  19. Reading Engagement in Science: Elementary Students' Read-Aloud Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.

    2015-01-01

    This study examines student reading engagement with children's science books in elementary classrooms. "Reading engagement" in science is conceived in terms of a Transmission-Transaction continuum. When centered on transmission, science reading entails passive reception of a textually encoded scientific message. By contrast, when science…

  20. Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

    2015-04-01

    The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about children's earliest identification with engineering. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which engineering identity differed among preadolescents across gender and grade, when exposing students to engineering design-based science learning activities. Five hundred fifty preadolescent participants completed the Engineering Identity Development Scale (EIDS), a recently developed measure with validity evidence that characterizes children's conceptions of engineering and potential career aspirations. Data analyses of variance among four factors (i.e., gender, grade, and group) indicated that elementary school students who engaged in the engineering design-based science learning activities demonstrated greater improvements on the EIDS subscales compared to those in the comparison group. Specifically, students in the lower grade levels showed substantial increases, while students in the higher grade levels showed decreases. Girls, regardless of grade level and participation in the engineering learning activities, showed higher scores in the academic subscale compared to boys. These findings suggest that the integration of engineering practices in the science classroom as early as grade one shows potential in fostering and sustaining student interest, participation, and self-concept in engineering and science.

  1. ADHD Symptom Reduction in Elementary Students: A Single-Case Effectiveness Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schottelkorb, April A.; Ray, Dee C.

    2009-01-01

    The authors used a single-case design to examine the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) and person-centered teacher consultation (PCTC) for four elementary students identified with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Two students participated in CCPT and their teachers participated in PCTC. Two students…

  2. The Benefits of Departmentalization in Upper Elementary Grades for Students and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Malissa Lee

    2013-01-01

    This study addressed the benefits of departmentalization in upper elementary grades for students and teachers. The variables of gender and classroom structure (departmentalized versus self-contained) were considered for student participants (n = 125). Results for students were evaluated on pre-test and post-test data using the following measures:…

  3. Repair Strategies Usage of Primary Elementary ESL Students: Implications for ESL Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Eun Hye; Larke, Patricia J.

    2010-01-01

    Repair strategies are the ways in which students resolve conversational problems in speaking, hearing and understanding. While there is a plethora of research on college and adult students' repair strategies usage, limited research has been done on the repair strategies usage of elementary school students, more specifically, English as a Second…

  4. Assessing multiple intelligences in elementary-school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strecker, Catherine Hunt

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a clear understanding of the manner in which fourth-grade students attending a Kansas elementary school learn when engaged in science activities grounded in H. Gardner's book, Frames of mind the theory of multiple intelligences (1983). The significance of this research lies in the discovery of the difference between teaching practice grounded in multiple intelligences versus that based upon traditional theory. Teacher self-perceptions with regard to the effectiveness of their instruction and student assessment within the classroom were also explored. The research evaluated the overall effectiveness of both traditional curriculum delivery and that rooted in the concept of multiple intelligences.

  5. Geographic Perspectives with Elementary Students: The Silk Road

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bisland, Beverly Milner

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate elementary students' explanations of how physical features of the land influence the location of humanly defined structures including trade routes, such as the silk routes. The silk routes were a series of caravan trade routes that extended from Turkey to China and were located as far south as India and…

  6. Balancing Teacher and Student Roles in Elementary Classrooms: Preservice Elementary Teachers' Learning about the Inquiry Continuum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggers, Mandy; Forbes, Cory T.

    2012-01-01

    Using the National Research Council's inquiry continuum framework, we use a multiple-case study research design to investigate the teacher- and student-directedness of elementary preservice teachers' planned and enacted science lessons and their pedagogical reasoning about science instruction during a semester-long science methods course. Our…

  7. The Effects of a STEM Intervention on Elementary Students' Science Knowledge and Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cotabish, Alicia; Dailey, Debbie; Robinson, Ann; Hughes, Gail

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to assess elementary students' science process skills, content knowledge, and concept knowledge after one year of participation in an elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. This study documented the effects of the combination of intensive professional development and the use of…

  8. Connecting Scientists, College Students, Middle School Students & Elementary Students through Intergenerational Afterschool STEM Programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, N. A.; Paglierani, R.; Raftery, C. L.; Romero, V.; Harper, M. R.; Chilcott, C.; Peticolas, L. M.; Hauck, K.; Yan, D.; Ruderman, I.; Frappier, R.

    2015-12-01

    The Multiverse education group at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Lab created the NASA-funded "Five Stars Pathway" model in which five "generations" of girls and women engage in science together in an afterschool setting, with each generation representing one stage in the pathway of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). The five stages are: elementary-age students, middle-school-age students, undergraduate-level college students, graduate-level college students and professional scientists. This model was field-tested at two Girls Inc. afterschool locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and distributed to Girls Inc. affiliates and other afterschool program coordinators nationwide. This presentation will explore some of the challenges and success of implementing a multigenerational STEM model as well as distributing the free curriculum for interested scientists and college students to use with afterschool programs.

  9. Word Processing with the Elementary School Student--A Teaching and Learning Experience for Both Teachers and Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacoby, Adrienne

    Using word processing in the elementary school writing curriculum is advantageous for both students and teachers. Word processors motivate students to spend more time on task, encourage changes and rewriting, and eliminate concern for neatness and the tedium of writing (and rewriting) by hand. Teachers can see that students using the word…

  10. Elementary Students' Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Science: Role of Grade Level, Gender, and Socio-Economic Status

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karaarslan, Guliz; Sungur, Semra

    2011-01-01

    This study examined grade level and gender difference with respect to elementary students' science and technology self-efficacy. Additionally, relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and self-efficacy was examined. A total of 145 elementary students participated in the study. Self efficacy towards Science and Technology Scale was used to…

  11. CREATIVITY OF PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS.

    PubMed

    Sali, Güneş; Akyol, Aysel Köksal

    2015-12-01

    Although creativity provides a considerable number of advantages, many teachers have direct and indirect prejudices against creative students since they may display distracting and disruptive behaviors toward teachers and classmates. To determine how teachers' creativity affects their students' creative development, 90 preschool and elementary school teachers and 90 pupils were assessed for creative thinking. The children's sex was not correlated with creativity scores. There were small, significant relationships between various measures of preschool teachers' and students' creativity.

  12. A Study of High School Students' Perceptions of Mentoring Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Ashley N.

    2015-01-01

    This dissertation was designed as a phenomenological qualitative study grounded in Contact Theory to investigate Early College high school students' perceptions of a multi-year mentoring program. The Early College students were paired with elementary students with varying special needs in a self-contained classroom throughout 3 years in various…

  13. An Exploration of How Elementary School Principals Approach the Student Retention Decision Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez-Hicks, Laura M.

    2012-01-01

    This is a constructivist grounded theory study investigating how elementary principals approach the student retention decision process in their schools. Twenty-two elementary principals participated in the study using a selective or snowball sampling method. Principals worked in one of three districts in a mid-Atlantic state and had experience as…

  14. Physical education and academic achievement in elementary school: data from the early childhood longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Carlson, Susan A; Fulton, Janet E; Lee, Sarah M; Maynard, L Michele; Brown, David R; Kohl, Harold W; Dietz, William H

    2008-04-01

    We examined the association between time spent in physical education and academic achievement in a longitudinal study of students in kindergarten through fifth grade. We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998 to 1999, which employed a multistage probability design to select a nationally representative sample of students in kindergarten (analytic sample = 5316). Time spent in physical education (minutes per week) was collected from classroom teachers, and academic achievement (mathematics and reading) was scored on an item response theory scale. A small but significant benefit for academic achievement in mathematics and reading was observed for girls enrolled in higher amounts (70-300 minutes per week) of physical education (referent: 0-35 minutes per week). Higher amounts of physical education were not positively or negatively associated with academic achievement among boys. Among girls, higher amounts of physical education may be associated with an academic benefit. Physical education did not appear to negatively affect academic achievement in elementary school students. Concerns about adverse effects on achievement may not be legitimate reasons to limit physical education programs.

  15. Early Career Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Noticing Related to Language and Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Erin Elizabeth; McDuffie, Amy Roth; Sugimoto, Amanda Tori; Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon; Witters, Angela; Aguirre, Julia; Bartell, Tonya; Drake, Corey; Foote, Mary Q.

    2016-01-01

    There has been limited attention to early career teachers' (ECTs) understandings and practices related to language in teaching and learning mathematics. In this qualitative case study, we drew upon frameworks for teacher noticing to study the language practices of six early career elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. We describe…

  16. The Parent Component of the Kindergarten and Elementary Intervention Project (KEIP).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Linda

    This paper describes an experimental early intervention program called the Kindergarten and Elementary Intervention Program, which provides support for at-risk students, their parents, and teachers. It aims at the improvement of early school adjustment through approaches designed to accommodate a wide range of individual differences; improve and…

  17. The Longitudinal Process of Early Parent Involvement on Student Achievement: A Path Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Hayakawa, Momoko; Englund, Michelle M.; Warner-Richter, Mallory N.; Reynolds, Arthur J

    2016-01-01

    This longitudinal study investigated the process whereby early parent involvement in preschool effects student achievement from kindergarten through 6th grade. Participants were 1,539 low-income, mainly African American children and their mothers, in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Program children (N = 989) received one or two years of the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program – a preschool intervention that strongly promoted parents' development of parent involvement skills within the school and at home. Children from similar backgrounds who did not attend the CPC, but participated in available local resources (e.g. day care), were obtained as a comparison group (N = 550). Path analysis revealed an interactive process between parent involvement, academic achievement, and children's motivation. Early parent involvement directly influenced kindergarten achievement, which in turn influenced first grade student motivation. Highly motivated children then encouraged parents to continue involvement. The cyclic nature of this process across elementary school was observed. The model accounted for 61% of the variance in 6th grade achievement. Findings suggest that early parent involvement promoted in the CPC program, sets the stage for subsequent parent involvement, student motivation, and academic achievement throughout early and middle childhood. PMID:27867317

  18. Relationships among Tasks, Time, and Student Practice in Elementary Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rasmussen, Jennifer F.; Scrabis-Fletcher, Kristin A.; Silverman, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers structure class in elementary physical education and the impact their decisions have on the amount of appropriate practice students receive. Participants for this study were 10 third grade physical education teachers and their students. Each teacher taught two successive skill-related lessons…

  19. Elementary Students' Roles and Epistemic Stances during Document-Based History Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nokes, Jeffery D.

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on a study that repositioned elementary students in new roles as active, critical participants in historical inquiry--roles that required a more mature epistemic stance. It reports 5th-grade students' responses to instructional methods intended to help them understand the nature of historical knowledge, appreciate the work of…

  20. The Classroom Learning Environment as Perceived by Students in Arab Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khalil, Mahmood; Saar, Vered

    2009-01-01

    In this study, students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment in Arab elementary schools were investigated. The sample included 261 students from Grades 5 and 6. The questionnaire was developed at an Arab college of teacher education by 16 fourth-year student teachers who were completing their studies toward a BEd degree. Articles on…

  1. The Acquisition and Transfer of Botanical Classification by Elementary Science Methods Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knapp, Clifford Edward

    Investigated were two questions related to the acquisition and transfer of botanical classification skill by elementary science methods students. Data were collected from a sample of 89 students enrolled in methods courses. Sixty-two students served as the experimental sample, and 27 served as the control for the transfer portion of the research.…

  2. Elementary School Computer Access, Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity, and Grade 5 Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Julie Ann

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the current school computer access rates of elementary school students and to determine the extent to which school computer access relates to academic achievement among Grade 5 students in the state of Texas. Specifically, the relationship of school computer access to student passing rates on the…

  3. Examining the Effects of Integrated Science, Engineering, and Nonfiction Literature on Student Learning in Elementary Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tank, Kristina Maruyama

    In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on the integration of multiple disciplines in order to help prepare more students to better address the complex challenges they will face in the 21st century. Exposing students to an integrated and multidisciplinary approach will help them to better understand the connections between subjects instead of as individual and separate subjects. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Integration has been suggested as an approach that would model a multidisciplinary approach while also offering authentic and meaningful learning experiences to students. However, there is limited research on STEM integration in the elementary classroom and additional research is needed to better define and explore the effects of this integration for both students and science educators. With the recent recommendations for teaching both science and engineering in elementary classrooms (NRC, 2012), two common models include teaching science through inquiry and teaching science through engineering-design pedagogies. This study will explore both of these models as it seeks to better understand one piece of the larger issue of STEM and STEM integration by examining how the integration of science, engineering, and nonfiction literature affects students learning in elementary classrooms. This study employed an embedded mixed methods design to measure the effects of this integration on student learning in four fifth grade classrooms from the same elementary school. The findings revealed that the students who participated in the nonfiction reading instruction that was integrated with their science instruction showed a greater increase in all measures of student learning in both science and reading when compared to the control students. The findings from the integrated science, engineering and nonfiction literature revealed similar findings with the treatment students showing a greater increase in the measures of student learning

  4. The Career Development Needs of Rural Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Chris; Kaszubowski, Yvonne

    2008-01-01

    This exploratory study investigated the career development needs of 150 fourth-grade students from 2 rural school districts in the Midwestern United States. The Childhood Career Development Scale (CCDS) was administered in 6 classrooms at 2 elementary schools to assess Donald Super's 9 dimensions (information, curiosity, exploration, interests,…

  5. Elementary Students' Scientific Epistemological Beliefs in Relation to Socio-Economic Status and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozkal, Kudret; Tekkaya, Ceren; Sungur, Semra; Cakiroglu, Jale; Cakiroglu, Erdinc

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated students' scientific epistemological beliefs in relation to socio-economic status (SES) and gender. Data were obtained from 1,152 eight grade Turkish elementary school students using Scientific Epistemological Beliefs instrument. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that students with a working mother and educated…

  6. The Roles of Engineering Notebooks in Shaping Elementary Engineering Student Discourse and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertel, Jonathan D.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Kelly, Gregory J.

    2017-01-01

    Engineering design challenges offer important opportunities for students to learn science and engineering knowledge and practices. This study examines how students' engineering notebooks across four units of the curriculum "Engineering is Elementary" (EiE) support student work during design challenges. Through educational ethnography and…

  7. A narrative study of novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harrell, Roberta

    It is hoped that, once implemented, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will engage students more deeply in science learning and build science knowledge sequentially beginning in Kindergarten (NRC, 2013). Early instruction is encouraged but must be delivered by qualified elementary teachers who have both the science content knowledge and the necessary instructional skills to teach science effectively to young children (Ejiwale, 2012, Spencer, Vogel, 2009, Walker, 2011). The purpose of this research study is to gain insight into novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction. This research suggests that infusion of constructivist teaching in the elementary classroom is beneficial to the teacher's instruction of science concepts to elementary students. Constructivism is theory that learning is centered on the learner constructing new ideas or concepts built upon their current/past knowledge (Bruner, 1966). Based on this theory, it is recommended that the instructor should try to encourage students to discover principles independently; essentially the instructor presents the problem and lets students go (Good & Brophy, 2004). Discovery learning, hands-on, experimental, collaborative, and project-based learning are all approaches that use constructivist principles. The NGSS are based on constructivist principles. This narrative study provides insight into novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction considered through the lens of Constructivist Theory (Bruner, 1960).

  8. Social Network Profiles of Children in Early Elementary School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vu, Jennifer A.; Locke, Jill J.

    2014-01-01

    This study characterized the social network roles and peer relationship features of early elementary school-age children from kindergarten to 2nd grade. Children were asked to identify who they liked and did not like to play with and peer groups who played together from their classroom. Consistent with the literature, we found similar patterns for…

  9. A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Learning Outcomes and Parental Involvement during Early Childhood Education and Early Elementary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Xin; Shen, Jianping; Krenn, Huilan Y.; Hu, Shanshan; Yuan, Jing

    2016-01-01

    This meta-analysis examined the relationship between learning outcomes of children and educational involvement of parents during a unique period of early childhood education and early elementary education based on 100 independent effect sizes from 46 studies. Learning outcomes are academic achievement, and frameworks of parental involvement…

  10. Structure and Typical Profiles of Elementary Teacher Students' View of Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hannula, Markku S.; Kaasila, Raimo; Laine, Anu; Pehkonen, Erkki

    2005-01-01

    The elementary school teachers' view of mathematics is important because it will influence the way they will teach mathematics. Based on a survey study in three Finnish universities we explored the structure of student teachers view of mathematics and also the different belief profiles that they had. The core of student teachers' view consisted of…

  11. The Impact of Afterschool Tutoring on Reading Scores of Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Latrice T.

    2014-01-01

    Students from an urban elementary school did not meet criteria on the standardized reading assessment for 3 consecutive years as mandated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Students were at risk of failing future classes requiring proficiency in reading, and the school did not meet annual yearly progress. To address this problem,…

  12. Views of Students, Parents, and Teachers on Homework in Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidovitch, Nitza; Yavich, Roman

    2017-01-01

    The current study seeks to examine the perception of the three main populations that have a part in the educational and pedagogic domain: teachers, parents, and elementary school students, while comparing between religious and secular schools. The major hypothesis of the study is that teachers, parents, and students do not have congruent views on…

  13. The Non-English Speaking Student in the Elementary Classroom--A Beginning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, Edith H.

    This guide for elementary teachers who are not trained in techniques of English as a second language (ESL) but who have limited English-speaking students in their classes offers specific classroom techniques for helping those students. The first section presents a brief summary of research in first and second language acquisition. The second and…

  14. Astronomy in the early years of elementary education: a partnership between university and school

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barai, A.; Carvalho Neto, J. T.; Garrido, D.; Ityanagui, G.; Navi, M.

    2016-12-01

    This paper describes the interaction and partnership experience between a school and one of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)campi, both located in Araras, SP, aiming to teach and promote astronomy and astronautics knowledge among students of the first five years of Elementary Education. This initiative made use of Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics as a motivating event for the theme exploration. The actions were divided into two fronts: an improvement course for the school teachers conducted by university professors and lectures for students by UFSCar students under the guidance of university teachers and the school coordinators. By the observed results, we noticed the importance of narrowing the distance school-university, promoting learning for both institutions and helping to raise the level of education from elementary school to college.

  15. The Effects of Rewards and Punishments on Motivations of the Elementary School Student

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matera, Bryan D.

    2009-01-01

    Past research has shown that rewards and punishments imposed on elementary school students may contribute to increases in student motivation and academic achievement. However, alternative research findings indicate that students may exhibit temporary compliance with such external stimuli and may not develop intrinsic motivation to perform well…

  16. Outline of the Solar System: Activities for elementary students

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartsfield, J.; Sellers, M.

    1990-01-01

    An introduction to the solar system for the elementary school student is given. The introduction contains historical background, facts, and pertinent symbols concerning the sun, the nine major planets and their moons, and information about comets and asteroids. Aids to teaching are given, including a solar system crossword puzzle with answers.

  17. Assessing Elementary Students' Writing Skills. Publication No. 78.74.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman, Myron; Fowler, Elaine

    An instrument was developed for use in the evaluation of a pilot program to improve the writing skills of elementary school students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. Called the "Assessment of Writing Skills" (AWS), the instrument assesses writing maturity, productivity, and writing mechanics by collecting a holistic evaluation…

  18. An Investigation into Upper Elementary Students' Attitudes towards Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaya, Hasan

    2012-01-01

    Science and technology course that helps to improve cognitive aspects and enhance the creativity of the individuals is an important part of elementary school education as a core course. Students may gain scientific knowledge, scientific process skills, and attitudes during their science learning process. This study aimed to determine upper…

  19. Design Expert's Participation in Elementary Students' Collaborative Design Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kangas, Kaiju; Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, Pirita; Hakkarainen, Kai

    2013-01-01

    The main goal of the present study was to provide insights into how disciplinary expertise might be infused into Design and Technology classrooms and how authentic processes based on professional design practices might be constructed. We describe elementary students' collaborative lamp designing process, where the leadership was provided by a…

  20. Developing Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy through Field-Based Science Teaching Practice with Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, Ingrid M.

    2015-01-01

    Thirty preservice teachers enrolled in a field-based science methods course were placed at a public elementary school for coursework and for teaching practice with elementary students. Candidates focused on building conceptual understanding of science content and pedagogical methods through innovative curriculum development and other course…

  1. The Foreign Language Learning Value Beliefs of Japanese Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Ron Reuel

    2013-01-01

    This study was an investigation of student beliefs about their EFL education, and it was based upon the subjective task value component of the expectancy-value theory, a prominent theory of achievement motivation. The participants were three cohorts of Japanese public elementary school students (Cohort 1 from 2008; Cohort 2 from 2009; and Cohort 3…

  2. Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades That Support Teacher and Student Success: Profiles of Effective Practices in Three Expanded Learning Time Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farbman, David A.; Novoryta, Ami

    2016-01-01

    In "Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades that Support Teacher and Student Success," the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) profiles three expanded-time elementary schools that leverage a longer school day to better serve young students. In particular, the report describes how a longer day opens up opportunities…

  3. Teacher Management of Elementary Classroom Social Dynamics: Associations with Changes in Student Adjustment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gest, Scott D.; Madill, Rebecca A.; Zadzora, Kathleen M.; Miller, Aaron M.; Rodkin, Philip C.

    2014-01-01

    Teachers and students in 54 elementary school classrooms (first, third, and fifth grades) participated in a multi-method longitudinal study of classroom social dynamics. At each of three assessments within a single school year, observers rated teacher-student interaction quality, students completed sociometric assessments and reported on their…

  4. The Relationship between Personal Epistemology and Self-Regulation among Turkish Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine the level of the relationship among Turkish elementary school students' personal epistemologies, motivation, learning strategies, and achievements in science. A total of 322 fifth-grade students participated in the study. Results from the structural equation modeling showed that students' personal…

  5. Teaching Elementary Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities How To Shop for Groceries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Timothy E.; Schuster, John W.

    2000-01-01

    A study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional strategy in teaching 10 elementary-aged students with moderate intellectual disabilities how to shop for groceries. Following the intervention, which consisted of in vivo training using constant time delay and simulation training using a pictorial storyboard, six students achieved…

  6. Associations between Perceived Teaching Behaviours and Affect in Upper Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnard, Allison D.; Adelson, Jill L.; Pössel, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    We explored the associations between student-perceived teaching behaviours and negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) in upper elementary age students, both before and after controlling for perceived parenting behaviours. The Teaching Behaviour Questionnaire, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule…

  7. Factors Affecting the Social Experiences of Students in Elementary Physical Education Classes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suomi, Joanne; Collier, Douglas; Brown, Lou

    2003-01-01

    Examined factors that had a positive and negative effect on the social experiences of elementary students with and without disabilities in inclusive physical education classrooms. Data from observations and interviews indicated that the physical education teacher had a positive influence on students' social experiences, while cultures, student…

  8. Ideas of Elementary Students about Reducing the "Greenhouse Effect."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Francis, Claire; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Presents the results of a questionnaire given to 563 elementary students to study their ideas of actions that would reduce the greenhouse effect. Most of the children (87%) appreciated that planting trees would help reduce global warming. During interviews it was discovered that children were confused between the greenhouse effect and ozone layer…

  9. Elementary Students' Accounts of Optimal Challenge in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mandigo, James L.; Holt, Nicholas L.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school students' accounts of optimal challenge. Twenty-seven children (aged 7-9 years) participated in semi-structured interviews during which they were shown a video-recording of their participation in a physical education class and invited to describe their experiences of optimally challenging…

  10. Development of WebQuest Lesson Enhancing Thai Reading Skills for Students with Down Syndrome at Lower Elementary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaewchote, Nantawan; Chongchaikit, Maturos

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to enhancing the Thai language oral reading skills of lower elementary students with Down syndrome using WebQuest lesson. The sample groups were the 5 lower elementary students, purposively selected from Watnonsaparam public school under the Office of Saraburi Educational Service Area, Thailand. The research…

  11. The Influence of Personalization of Online Texts on Elementary School Students' Reading Comprehension and Attitudes toward Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ertem, Ihsan Seyit

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to examine the role of personalized and non-personalized online texts on elementary school fifth grade students' comprehension and their attitudes toward reading. Participants were 47 fifth-grade students from a rural elementary school in north Florida. The subjects were randomly assigned into two (personalized…

  12. Elementary Students' Mathematical Explanations and Attention to Audience with Screencasts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soto, Melissa

    2015-01-01

    Reasoning and constructing mathematical explanations for an audience have become increasingly important activities in elementary classrooms with the implementation of reform-oriented curriculum and standards. Mobile learning tools and applications, such as screencasts, allow students to generate multimedia presentations of their solution…

  13. The Student-to-Student Chemistry Initiative: Training High School Students To Perform Chemistry Demonstration Programs for Elementary School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voegel, Phillip D.; Quashnock, Kathryn A.; Heil, Katrina M.

    2004-05-01

    The Student-to-Student Chemistry Initiative is an outreach program started in the fall of 2001 at Midwestern State University (MSU). The oncampus program trains high school science students to perform a series of chemistry demonstrations and subsequently provides kits containing necessary supplies and reagents for the high school students to perform demonstration programs at elementary schools. The program focuses on improving student perception of science. The program's impact on high school student perception is evaluated through statistical analysis of paired preparticipation and postparticipation surveys. The surveys focus on four areas of student perception: general attitude toward science, interest in careers in science, science awareness, and interest in attending MSU for postsecondary education. Increased scores were observed in all evaluation areas including a statistically significant increase in science awareness following participation.

  14. Early Interventions for At-Risk Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huxman, Frankie; Klassen, Eydie; Koontz, Barbara; Nottingham, Cheryl; Vierthaler, Charlene

    This is a report on a school-wide ethnographic study of intervention strategies for at-risk students in kindergarten through second grade. A group of 5 teachers from an elementary school of approximately 250 students in a Midwest community of about 18,000 people (2 first-grade teachers, 2 second-grade teachers, and 1 music teacher) comprised the…

  15. Bullying Prevention as a Social Justice Issue: Implications with Asian American Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Cixin; Wang, Weimeng; Zheng, Lianzhe; Atwal, Kavita

    2016-01-01

    This study examined Asian American elementary students' experience with victimization. Data were collected from 313 fourth and fifth graders from an ethnically diverse elementary school in southern California. Most participants self-identified as Asian/Asian American and spoke an Asian language at home. Results indicated that Asian American…

  16. Biblio-Therapeutic Book Creations by Pre-Service Student Teachers: Helping Elementary School Children Cope

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haeseler, Lisa Ann

    2009-01-01

    Many elementary school children may cope with difficult life struggles such as disabilities, abuse, loss, and identity issues. This article details original, student generated, biblio-therapeutic book creations and how this genre teaches positive ways for children at-risk to cope with tough life circumstances. Pre-service, elementary college…

  17. Validation of the Elementary Social Behavior Assessment: A Measure of Student Prosocial School Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennefather, Jordan T.; Smolkowski, Keith

    2015-01-01

    We describe the psychometric evaluation of the "Elementary Social Behavior Assessment" (ESBA™), a 12-item scale measuring teacher-preferred, positive social skills. The ESBA was developed for use in elementary school classrooms to measure teacher perceptions of students using time-efficient, web-based data collection methods that allow…

  18. Read Today, Lead Tomorrow: How Corporate Grants, Volunteers, and Community Leadership Can Bring About Student Success. The Story of the GE Early Years Initiative.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burr, Tim; Tatarian, Lois

    The General Electric (GE) Early Years Initiative, a grant-funded GE Fund, GE's corporate Foundation and GE Elfun, GE's international program created by volunteer organization, has helped elementary school students improve their reading skills through the use of volunteers since 1994. This publication describes Early Years projects, provides…

  19. Interactive Whiteboards Produce Small Gains in Elementary Students' Self-Reported Motivation in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torff, Bruce; Tirotta, Rose

    2010-01-01

    A treatment/control study (N = 773) was conducted to determine the extent to which use of interactive whiteboard technology (IWB) was associated with upper elementary students' self-reported level of motivation in mathematics. Students in the treatment group reported higher levels of motivation relative to control students, but the effect was…

  20. Elementary Students' Retention of Environmental Science Knowledge: Connected Science Instruction versus Direct Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upadhyay, Bhaskar; DeFranco, Cristina

    2008-01-01

    This study compares 3rd-grade elementary students' gain and retention of science vocabulary over time in two different classes--"connected science instruction" versus "direct instruction." Data analysis yielded that students who received connected science instruction showed less gain in science knowledge in the short term compared to students who…

  1. Elementary Students' Metacognitive Processes and Post-Performance Calibration on Mathematical Problem-Solving Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    García, Trinidad; Rodríguez, Celestino; González-Castro, Paloma; González-Pienda, Julio Antonio; Torrance, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Calibration, or the correspondence between perceived performance and actual performance, is linked to students' metacognitive and self-regulatory skills. Making students more aware of the quality of their performance is important in elementary school settings, and more so when math problems are involved. However, many students seem to be poorly…

  2. High Dropout Rate among Elementary and Middle School Students in Changed Prefecture.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yan, Weizhi; Chen, Benxiang

    1989-01-01

    Examines the high dropout rate among elementary and middle school students in Changed Prefecture. Lists and discusses four factors that contribute to this situation. Describes student attitudes toward school: studying is useless, excessive amounts of school work are given, misunderstandings concerning job placement exist, and tuition is high. (KO)

  3. The Relationship between Principal Leadership Styles and Student Achievement in Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    May, Natasha K.

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between principal leadership style, school socioeconomic status (SES), and student achievement for 6 elementary schools. Each school's spring 2007 Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT) scores were used in the areas of Reading, Language, and Mathematics as a measure of student achievement. The principal's…

  4. Benefits of Service-Learning for Freshmen College Students and Elementary School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eppler, Marion A.; Ironsmith, Marsha; Dingle, Stephanie H.; Errickson, Marissa A.

    2011-01-01

    Freshman honors students in a service-learning course tutored low-income English Language Learning kindergartners, first-, and second-graders in reading. We conducted two separate data collections, one assessing college students' attitudes and motives (Study 1) and one exploring the benefits for elementary school children (Study 2). We measured…

  5. Using Blogs to Improve Elementary School Students' Environmental Literacy in Science Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saltan, Fatih; Divarci, Omer Faruk

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of blog activities on elementary students' environmental literacy in science class. The relationships between students' environmental literacy levels, their parents' interest in environmental activities and the frequency of outdoor activities they do have also been also examined. Pre-test…

  6. Inference Instruction to Support Reading Comprehension for Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Colby; Barnes, Marcia A.

    2017-01-01

    Making inferences during reading is a critical standards-based skill and is important for reading comprehension. This article supports the improvement of reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities (LD) in upper elementary grades by reviewing what is currently known about inference instruction for students with LD and providing…

  7. Gifted Elementary Students' Interactions with Female and Male Scientists in a Biochemistry Enrichment Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    She, Candace Hsiao-Ching; Barrow, Lloyd H.

    1997-01-01

    Examines how gender and self-concept relate to gifted elementary students' participation in a biochemistry enrichment program taught by female and male scientists. Students with low self-concepts asked more questions and received more feedback than students with high self-concepts. Student-initiated questions and gender differences in interaction…

  8. Changes in cognitive functions of students in the transitional period from elementary school to junior high school.

    PubMed

    Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Sasabe, Tetsuya; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2011-05-01

    When students proceed to junior high school from elementary school, rapid changes in the environment occur, which may cause various behavioral and emotional problems. However, the changes in cognitive functions during this transitional period have rarely been studied. In 158 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 159 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades, we assessed various cognitive functions, including motor processing, spatial construction ability, semantic fluency, immediate memory, delayed memory, spatial and non-spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. Our findings showed that performance on spatial and non-spatial working memory, alternative attention, divided attention, and semantic fluency tasks improved from elementary to junior high school. In particular, performance on alternative and divided attention tasks improved during the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Our finding suggests that development of alternative and divided attention is of crucial importance in the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression: Introduction to the Special Series.

    PubMed

    Coker, David L; Kim, Young-Suk Grace

    In this introduction to the special series "Critical Issues in the Understanding of Young Elementary School Students at Risk for Problems in Written Expression," we consider some of the contextual factors that have changed since a similar special issue was published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities in 2002. We also explore how the five articles included in this special series address the following important themes: early writing development, identification of students with writing difficulties, and effective interventions for struggling writers. In conclusion, we envision future directions to advance the field.

  10. A Survey on Turkish Elementary School Students' Environmental Friendly Behaviours and Associated Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alp, Elvan; Ertepinar, Hamide; Tekkaya, Ceren; Yilmaz, Ayhan

    2008-01-01

    This study investigated elementary school students' environmental knowledge and attitudes, the effects of sociodemographic variables on environmental knowledge and attitudes, and how self-reported environmentally friendly behaviour is related to environmental knowledge, behavioural intentions, environmental affects, and the students' locus of…

  11. Exploring the Educational Potential of Minecraft: The Case of 118 Elementary-School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karsenti, Thierry; Bugmann, Julien

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study was to explore the educational potential of Minecraft. This project was conducted with 118 elementary-school students from Canada during the 2016-2017 school year. To explore the educational potential of Minecraft on the students, we designed a "Minecraft challenge" for students. 10 game levels of ascending…

  12. Enhancement of Elementary School Students' Science Learning by Web-Quest Supported Science Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Min-Hsiung, Chuang; Jeng-Fung, Hung; Quo-Cheng, Sung

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to probe into the influence of implementing Web-quest supported science writing instruction on students' science learning and science writing. The subjects were 34 students in one class of grade six in an elementary school in Taiwan. The students participated in the instruction, which lasted for eight weeks. Data collection…

  13. Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk?

    PubMed

    Wilson, Nance; Battistich, Victor; Syme, S Leonard; Boyce, W Thomas

    2002-06-01

    To assess whether alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in elementary school may have serious implications for continued ATOD use in middle school and beyond. Longitudinal analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from 331 middle school students who had previously provided ATOD-use data during elementary school. Non-school personnel administered questionnaires in three participating school districts in three different states. The sample of students was ethnically and geographically diverse, including students from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds living in rural, urban or inner-city environments. Middle school alcohol use was almost three times as likely to occur if alcohol use had occurred in elementary school (OR = 2.94, p <.001). Elementary school use of tobacco and marijuana also greatly increased the likelihood of middle school use (OR = 5.35, p <.001 and OR = 4.25, p <.05, respectively). Early use of ATOD is associated with greatly increased odds of later use, which has important implications for the timing of drug prevention programs. Preventive interventions designed for use in pediatric practice settings should commence no later than elementary school, during the middle childhood years.

  14. A Huge Responsibility: Three Keys to Teaching Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davison, Leslie

    2014-01-01

    Based on her 20 years of teaching Spanish, Leslie Davison strives for a holistic approach to teaching and learning that is authentic and relevant to her young language learners. Herein, she shares three keys to teaching elementary level students in a way that ensures they will have a "Can Do" attitude in terms of language proficiency and…

  15. Characteristics of headaches in Japanese elementary and junior high school students: A school-based questionnaire survey.

    PubMed

    Goto, Masahide; Yokoyama, Koji; Nozaki, Yasuyuki; Itoh, Koichi; Kawamata, Ryou; Matsumoto, Shizuko; Yamagata, Takanori

    2017-10-01

    Few studies have investigated pediatric headaches in Japan. Thus, we examined the lifetime prevalence and characteristics of headaches among elementary and junior high school students in Japan. In this school-based study, children aged 6-15years completed a questionnaire based on the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3β to assess headache characteristics and related disability. Of the 3285 respondents, 1623 (49.4%) experienced headaches. Migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH) were reported by 3.5% and 5.4% of elementary school students, respectively, and by 5.0% and 11.2% of junior high school students. Primary headaches increased with age. Compared with TTH sufferers, the dominant triggers in migraine sufferers were hunger (odds ratio=4.7), sunny weather (3.3), and katakori (neck and shoulder pain) (2.5). Compared with TTH, migraine caused higher headache-related frustration (P=0.010) as well as difficulty concentrating (P=0.017). Migraine-related disability was greater among junior high school students (feeling fed up or irritated, P=0.028; difficulty concentrating, P=0.016). TTH-related disability was also greater among junior high school students (feeling fed up or irritated, P=0.035). Approximately half of the students who complained of headache-related disability were not receiving medical treatment. This is the first detailed study of headaches in Japanese children to include elementary school students. Nearly 50% of the school children reported headaches and the disruption of daily activities caused by migraine was higher among junior high students than elementary school students. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Elementary School Students' Perceptions of Technology in their Pictorial Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eristi, Suzan Duygu; Kurt, Adile Askim

    2011-01-01

    The current study aimed to reveal elementary school students' perceptions of technology through their pictorial representations and their written expressions based on their pictorial representations. Content analysis based on the qualitative research method along with art-based inquiry was applied. The "coding system for the concepts revealed…

  17. Elementary Students' Perspectives on a Curriculum for Literacy Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pires Pereira, Íris Susana; González Riaño, Xosé Antón

    2018-01-01

    This article arises out of an initiative to implement a curriculum designed to enhance the literacy learning of elementary school children in Portugal. Researchers explored students' perspectives about the experienced curriculum through the enactment of group interviews. Thematic analysis of the conversations revealed positive opinions and…

  18. Developmental Perspectives on Reflective Practices of Elementary Science Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Joanne K.; Finson, Kevin D.

    2009-01-01

    Instructors of elementary science methods classes have long lamented the significant difficulties their students exhibit when trying to understand the many complexities of teaching science. As noted by some researchers and practicing teachers, preservice teachers often fail to developmentally function at desired levels with respect to…

  19. Learning Progression of Ecological System Reasoning for Lower Elementary (G1-4) Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hokayem, Hayat Al

    2012-01-01

    In this study, I utilized a learning progression framework to investigate lower elementary students (G1-4) systemic reasoning in ecology and I related students reasoning to their sources of knowledge. I used semi-structured interviews with 44 students from first through fourth grade, four teachers, and eight parents. The results revealed that a…

  20. Improving Music Skills of Elementary Students with Notation-Reading and Sight-Singing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harding, Mary H.

    A music educator designed for elementary school students who were musically unskilled a curriculum that was based on the methods of Kodaly and Orff, the philosophy of Warrener, and traditional music education concepts. A heterogeneous group of 606 second- through sixth-grade students in 4 schools participated in implementation of the curriculum.…

  1. The Writing Performance of Elementary Students Receiving Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolbers, Kimberly A.; Dostal, Hannah M.; Graham, Steve; Cihak, David; Kilpatrick, Jennifer R.; Saulsburry, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) has led to improved writing and language outcomes among deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) middle grades students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of SIWI on the written expression of DHH elementary students across recount/personal narrative, information report, and persuasive…

  2. The Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Assessment of Algebraic Thinking Skills for Students in the Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ralston, Nicole C.

    2013-01-01

    Elementary school students often exhibit a wide variety of different conceptions associated with algebraic thinking that their teachers fail to recognize or understand (Smith, diSessa, & Roschelle, 1994). It is crucial that elementary school teachers possess knowledge of the variety of different student conceptions and also boast abilities to…

  3. Teacher performance goal practices and elementary students’ behavioral engagement: A developmental perspective

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, Jan N.; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G.

    2010-01-01

    We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students’ behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. PMID:21215834

  4. Supplemental Education Services (SES): The Effect of SES on Elementary Students' Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Misewicz, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to compare the performance of elementary students on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in reading and mathematics between students who received SES services in grades 3-5 and students who qualified for free SES services, but did not receive SES services. Title I funds are set aside annually to pay private providers…

  5. A Comparison of Concerns of Secondary and Elementary Student Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahan, James M.

    Elementary and secondary school student teachers were tested before, during, and after their teaching experiences to determine if there were changes in their concerns about teaching. Three categories of concerns, each with eight items, were ranked: methods concerns, pertaining to instructional skills and content knowledge; cultural concerns,…

  6. Analysis of Factors Influencing Creative Personality of Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Jongman; Kim, Minkee; Jang, Shinho

    2017-01-01

    This quantitative research examined factors that affect elementary students' creativity and how those factors correlate. Aiming to identify significant factors that affect creativity and to clarify the relationship between these factors by path analysis, this research was designed to be a stepping stone for creativity enhancement studies. Data…

  7. Students' Personal Traits, Violence Exposure, Family Factors, School Dynamics and the Perpetration of Violence in Taiwanese Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

    2011-01-01

    School violence has become an international problem affecting the well-being of students. To date, few studies have examined how school variables mediate between personal and family factors and school violence in the context of elementary schools in Asian cultures. Using a nationally representative sample of 3122 elementary school students in…

  8. Using Children's Drawings to Examine Student Perspectives of Classroom Climate in a School-within-a-School Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farmer, Jennie L.; Spearman, Mindy; Qian, Meihua; Leonard, Alison E.; Rosenblith, Suzanne

    2018-01-01

    This study examines student perceptions of classroom climate at a school-within-a-school (SWAS) elementary school located in the southeastern United States. The elementary school contains a school for students identified as highly gifted within a neighborhood school. Researchers utilized drawings to determine students' perceptions of their…

  9. Screen Design Principles of Computer-Aided Instructional Software for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berrin, Atiker; Turan, Bülent Onur

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to present primary school students' views about current educational software interfaces, and to propose principles for educational software screens. The study was carried out with a general screening model. Sample group of the study consisted of sixth grade students in Sehit Ögretmen Hasan Akan Elementary School. In this context,…

  10. Food choice, plate waste and nutrient intake of elementary- and middle-school students participating in the US National School Lunch Program.

    PubMed

    Smith, Stephanie L; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie

    2014-06-01

    To (i) evaluate food choices and consumption patterns of elementary- and middle-school students who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and (ii) compare students' average nutrient intake from lunch with NSLP standards. Plate waste from elementary- and middle-school students' lunch trays was measured in autumn 2010 using a previously validated digital photography method. Percentage waste was estimated to the nearest 10 % for the entrée, canned fruit, fresh fruit, vegetable, grain and milk. Univariate ANOVA determined differences in percentage waste between schools, grades and genders. Daily nutrient intake was calculated using the district's menu analysis and percentage waste. Elementary and middle schools in northern Colorado (USA). Students, grades 1-8. Plate waste was estimated from 899 lunch trays; 535 elementary- and 364 middle-school students. Only 45 % of elementary- and 34 % middle-school students selected a vegetable. Elementary-school students wasted more than a third of grain, fruit and vegetable menu items. Middle-school students left nearly 50 % of fresh fruit, 37 % of canned fruit and nearly a third of vegetables unconsumed. Less than half of the students met the national meal standards for vitamins A and C, or Fe. Few students' lunch consumption met previous or new, strengthened NSLP lunch standards. Due to the relatively low intake of vegetables, intakes of vitamins A and C were of particular concern. Effective behavioural interventions, combined with marketing, communications and behavioural economics, will likely be necessary to encourage increased vegetable intake to meet the new meal standards.

  11. Exploring the Relationship between Early Childhood and Elementary Grade-Level Overlap and Early Childhood Teacher Output

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, R. Clarke

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the relationship between grade-level overlap between elementary education (ELED) and early childhood education (ECED) licenses and ECED teacher output. Analysis of Title 2 data indicates that ECED/ELED overlap is extensive, as evidenced by the number of states with grade-level overlaps of 5 (n = 2), 4 (n = 24), 3 (n = 10), and…

  12. The Effects of DI Flashcards and Math Racetrack on Multiplication Facts for Two Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lund, Kaitlyn; McLaughlin, T. F.; Neyman, Jen; Everson, Mary

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Direct Instruction (DI) flashcard system paired with a math racetrack to teach basic multiplication facts to two elementary students diagnosed with learning disabilities. The study was conducted in a resource room which served intermediate aged elementary students. The school was located…

  13. Eating Habits and Food Preferences of Elementary School Students in Urban and Suburban Areas of Daejeon

    PubMed Central

    Park, Eun-Suk; Lee, Je-Hyuk

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the dietary habits and food preferences of elementary school students. The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire distributed to 4th and 5th grade elementary school students (400 boys and 400 girls) in urban and suburban areas of Daejeon. The results of this study were as follows: male students in urban areas ate breakfast, unbalanced diets, and dairy products more frequently than male students in suburban areas (p < 0.05). Female students in urban areas ate dairy products (p < 0.01) and fruits (p < 0.001) more frequently than female students in suburban areas. Students had the high preferences for boiled rice and noodles with black bean sauce, beef rib soup, steamed beef rib, steamed egg, beef boiled in soy sauce, egg roll, bulgogi, pork cutlet, deep-fried pork covered with sweet and sour starchy sauce, and honeyed juice mixed with fruit as a punch. All students preferred kimchi, although students in the suburban areas preferred kimchi-fried rice (p < 0.05), and those in the urban areas preferred bean-paste soup (p < 0.01). Students in suburban areas showed a greater preference for seasoned bean sprouts and Altari kimchi. All of the students preferred fruits, rice cake made with glutinous rice, and pizza among other foods. Overall, there were distinct differences in the eating habits and food preferences of elementary school students according to the place of residence. PMID:26251838

  14. The Effect of Coping Knowledge on Emergency Preparedness in Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Shin-Jeong; Kang, So-Ra; Lee, Seung-Hee; Kang, Kyung-Ah

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of coping knowledge for emergency preparedness in Korean elementary school students. A school-based coping education program was provided seven times to 271 fourth- and fifth-grade students in two urban schools by researchers with the school nurses. The Process Model of Stress and Coping and…

  15. Protect Minnesota's Agricultural Land: Components and Activities for Elementary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noy, Laura

    An endeavor to alert elementary teachers and students to the need to protect and conserve one of Minnesota's basic resources, soil, these supplementary instructional activities are designed for easy integration into science, social studies, language arts, mathematics, and art subject and skill areas. Each activity includes a brief description of…

  16. Effects of Academic Coaching on Elementary and Secondary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenny, Dianna T.; Faunce, Gavin

    2004-01-01

    The authors assessed the effects of out-of-school hours academic coaching on students' (at academic performance on end-of-year examinations in English, mathematics, and science; (b) attainment of academic scholarships; and (c) acceptance to Gifted and Talented (GT) classes and selective high schools. Participants were 1,724 elementary and…

  17. Changes in Student Science Interest from Elementary to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coutts, Trudi E.

    2012-01-01

    This study is a transcendental phenomenological study that described the experience of students' interest in science from elementary school through middle school grades and the identification of the factors that increase or decrease interest in science. Numerous researchers have found that interest in science changes among children and the change…

  18. Building the Numeracy Skills of Undergraduate and Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boger, Pam

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes a project with the goal of exposing both elementary school and undergraduate students to the concepts associated with the experimental method, from the formulation of a researchable question to the analysis and interpretation of the results. Under the guidance of their university mentors, fourth and fifth grade students…

  19. The Association between Elementary School Start Time and Students' Academic Achievement in Wayzata Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dupuis, Danielle N.

    2015-01-01

    The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) conducted two analyses with the purpose of examining the association between elementary school start time and students' academic achievement in mathematics and reading in Wayzata Public Schools. The first analysis examined the association between elementary school start time and…

  20. Students' personal traits, violence exposure, family factors, school dynamics and the perpetration of violence in Taiwanese elementary schools.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

    2011-02-01

    School violence has become an international problem affecting the well-being of students. To date, few studies have examined how school variables mediate between personal and family factors and school violence in the context of elementary schools in Asian cultures. Using a nationally representative sample of 3122 elementary school students in Taiwan, this study examined a theoretical model proposing that negative personal traits, exposure to violence and parental monitoring knowledge have both direct influences as well as indirect influences mediated through school engagement, at-risk peers and poor student-teacher relationships on school violence committed by students against students and teachers. The results of a structural equation modeling analysis provided a good fit for the sample as a whole. The final model accounted for 32% of the variance for student violence against students and 21% for student violence against teachers. The overall findings support the theoretical model proposed in this study. Similar findings were obtained for both male and female students. The study indicated that to reduce school violence more effectively in the context of elementary schools, intervention may exclusively focus on improving students' within-school experiences and the quality of the students' relationships with teachers and school peers.

  1. Earlier school start times are associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in elementary schools.

    PubMed

    Keller, Peggy S; Gilbert, Lauren R; Haak, Eric A; Bi, Shuang; Smith, Olivia A

    2017-04-01

    Early school start times may curtail children's sleep and inadvertently promote sleep restriction. The current study examines the potential implications for early school start times for behavioral problems in public elementary schools (student ages 5-12 years) in Kentucky. School start times were obtained from school Web sites or by calling school offices; behavioral and disciplinary problems, along with demographic information about schools, were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education. Estimated associations controlled for teacher/student ratio, racial composition, school rank, enrollment, and Appalachian location. Associations between early school start time and greater behavioral problems (harassment, in-school removals, suspensions, and expulsions) were observed, although some of these associations were found only for schools serving the non-Appalachian region. Findings support the growing body of research showing that early school start times may contribute to student problems, and extend this research through a large-scale examination of elementary schools, behavioral outcomes, and potential moderators of risk. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The relationship of otitis media in early childhood to attention dimensions during the early elementary school years.

    PubMed

    Hooper, Stephen R; Ashley, Timothy A; Roberts, Joanne E; Zeisel, Susan A; Poe, Michele D

    2006-08-01

    This study examined the impact of otitis media with effusion (OME) and associated hearing loss between 6 and 48 months of age on attention dimensions (i.e., selective/focus, sustained) during the elementary school years. A prospective cohort design in which 74 African American infants were recruited between ages 6 and 12 months. Ear examinations were done repeatedly using both otoscopy and tympanometry, and hearing was assessed using standard audiometric procedures between 6 and 48 months. Multiple measures of attention (i.e., direct assessment, behavioral observations, parent/teacher ratings) were administered from kindergarten through second grade to assess two theoretical dimensions of attention: selective/focused and sustained. The home environment was assessed annually. Results indicated that neither early childhood OME nor hearing loss showed significant correlations with any of the longitudinal or cross-sectional measures of selective/focused attention and sustained attention. In contrast, children with mothers who had fewer years of education and who lived in less responsive and supportive home environments scored higher on both parent and teacher ratings of sustained attention (i.e., hyperactivity) through the second grade of elementary school. For NEPSY Auditory Attention in second grade, a significant interaction between the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment and hearing loss was uncovered. This interaction showed that children with hearing loss from poor home environments experienced greater difficulties on the NEPSY Auditory Attention task than those with hearing loss from good home environments. These findings do not support a direct linkage of a history of OME and associated hearing loss to difficulties in selective/focused attention or sustained attention in early elementary school children. Relationships between sociodemographic variables and attention-related functions appear stronger and should be considered as mediators in any

  3. Evaluation of the Waterford Early Reading Program in Kindergarten, 2005-06

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Stephen; Price-Johnson, Connie

    2006-01-01

    Background: The Waterford Early Reading Program (WERP), a technology-based program for early elementary grades, was provided through Arizona all day kindergarten funds to kindergarten students in 15 Title I elementary schools in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) in the 2005-06 school year. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the…

  4. Reading skills of students with speech sound disorders at three stages of literacy development.

    PubMed

    Skebo, Crysten M; Lewis, Barbara A; Freebairn, Lisa A; Tag, Jessica; Avrich Ciesla, Allison; Stein, Catherine M

    2013-10-01

    The relationship between phonological awareness, overall language, vocabulary, and nonlinguistic cognitive skills to decoding and reading comprehension was examined for students at 3 stages of literacy development (i.e., early elementary school, middle school, and high school). Students with histories of speech sound disorders (SSD) with and without language impairment (LI) were compared to students without histories of SSD or LI (typical language; TL). In a cross-sectional design, students ages 7;0 (years;months) to 17;9 completed tests that measured reading, language, and nonlinguistic cognitive skills. For the TL group, phonological awareness predicted decoding at early elementary school, and overall language predicted reading comprehension at early elementary school and both decoding and reading comprehension at middle school and high school. For the SSD-only group, vocabulary predicted both decoding and reading comprehension at early elementary school, and overall language predicted both decoding and reading comprehension at middle school and decoding at high school. For the SSD and LI group, overall language predicted decoding at all 3 literacy stages and reading comprehension at early elementary school and middle school, and vocabulary predicted reading comprehension at high school. Although similar skills contribute to reading across the age span, the relative importance of these skills changes with children's literacy stages.

  5. Engineering perceptions of female and male K-12 students: effects of a multimedia overview on elementary, middle-, and high-school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Amy M.; Ozogul, Gamze; DiDonato, Matt D.; Reisslein, Martin

    2013-10-01

    Computer-based multimedia presentations employing animated agents (avatars) can positively impact perceptions about engineering; the current research advances our understanding of this effect to pre-college populations, the main target for engineering outreach. The study examines the effectiveness of a brief computer-based intervention with animated agents in improving perceptions about engineering. Five hundred sixty-five elementary, middle-, and high-school students in the southwestern USA viewed a short computer-based multimedia overview of four engineering disciplines (electrical, chemical, biomedical, and environmental) with embedded animated agents. Students completed identical surveys measuring five subscales of engineering perceptions immediately before and after the intervention. Analyses of pre- and post-surveys demonstrated that the computer presentation significantly improved perceptions for each student group, and that effects were stronger for elementary school students, compared to middle- and high-school students.

  6. Elementary Student Perceptions of School Climate and Associations with Individual and School Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Salle, Tamika P.; Zabek, Faith; Meyers, Joel

    2016-01-01

    School climate has increasingly been recognized as an essential component of school improvement owing to the established associations between a positive school climate and academic outcomes for students. Our study examines associations among a brief measure of school climate assessing elementary student perceptions and the College and Career Ready…

  7. A Survey of Modes of Student Response Indicative of Musical Learning in Elementary Instrumental Music.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weaver, Molly A.

    This master's thesis reports on a study of the frequency and modes of student responses that demonstrate musical learning in the elementary instrumental music class. Some advances must be made toward more definitive evaluation practices in elementary school instrumental music if instrumental programs are to be justified in terms of improved…

  8. Introducing a New Elementary GLOBE Book on Climate: Supporting Educators and Students in their Understanding of the Concepts Underlying Climate and Climate Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanitski, D.; Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L. S.; Taylor, J.; Chambers, L. H.

    2016-12-01

    Much of the focus on climate literacy in K-12 occurs in middle and high school, where teachers and students can dig into the science in some depth. It is important, however, to introduce this topic at an early age, building on a child's natural curiosity about the world around them - but without overwhelming them with frightening climate change impacts. In some U.S. school systems, a recent focus on standardized testing has crowded out science instruction in order to bring up literacy scores. To give teachers a resource to maintain some science instruction under these conditions, a series of Elementary GLOBE books have been developed. These fictional stories describe sound science and engineering practices that are essential for students to learn the process of science while expanding literacy skills, strongly encouraged in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The main concepts developed in a new Elementary GLOBE book on climate, titled "What in the World Is Happening to Our Climate?", will be introduced in this presentation. This book complements six other Earth System Science modules within the Elementary GLOBE curriculum and is freely available on the GLOBE website (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe). The book discusses the concept that climate is changing in different ways and places around the world, and what happens to the climate in one place affects other locations across the globe. Supporting ideas clarify the difference between weather and climate, introduce climate science concepts, reveal the impacts of sea level rise, and help students understand that, while humans are contributing to climate change, they can also participate in solutions that address this challenge. Accompanying teacher's notes and companion classroom activities will be described to help elementary school teachers understand how to approach the subject of climate change with their students.

  9. Elementary Students' Acquisition of Academic Vocabulary Through Engineering Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kugelmass, Rachel

    This study examines how STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) inquiry-based learning through a hands-on engineering design can be beneficial in helping students acquire academic vocabulary. This research took place in a second grade dual- language classroom in a public, suburban elementary school. English language learners, students who speak Spanish at home, and native English speakers were evaluated in this study. Each day, students were presented with a general academic vocabulary focus word during an engineering design challenge. Vocabulary pre-tests and post-tests as well as observation field notes were used to evaluate the student's growth in reading and defining the focus academic vocabulary words. A quiz and KSB (knowledge and skill builder) packet were used to evaluate students' knowledge of science and math content and engineering design. The results of this study indicate that engineering design is an effective means for teaching academic vocabulary to students with varying levels of English proficiency.

  10. Elementary Teachers' Curriculum Design and Pedagogical Reasoning for Supporting Students' Comparison and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Explanations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggers, Mandy; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

    2013-01-01

    Previous research suggests that elementary teachers vary in their enactment of science curriculum materials and may not always engage students in substantive sense making. This mixed-methods study investigates elementary teachers' use of science curriculum materials to engage students in the scientific practice of comparing and evaluating…

  11. An Examination of Principals' Leadership and Its Impact on Early Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hallissey, Megan

    2017-01-01

    This exploratory, qualitative multiple-site case study examined principals' expectations of teaching practices and children's learning for early elementary grade levels (K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd). Specifically, this study investigated principals' understanding of developmentally appropriate practices regarding instructional methods, curriculum…

  12. Self-Reported Frequency and Perceived Severity of Being Bullied among Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Li-Ming

    2015-01-01

    Background: This study reports students' perspectives on the frequency and perceived severity of being bullied. Methods: A sample of 1816 elementary school students completed self-report surveys of perceived severity and frequency of being bullied. A Rasch technique aligned different victimized behaviors on interval logit scales. A 4-fold schema…

  13. Famous Georgians and Their Homes: A Social Studies Unit for Upper Elementary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deaver, Susan B.

    This upper-elementary level social studies curriculum guide is designed to: (1) teach students to understand and appreciate the built (man made) environment; (2) instruct students about Georgia's history and heritage; and (3) introduce the basic concepts of historic preservation. The unit highlights 10 architectural styles of the homes of famous…

  14. The Impact of Advanced Curriculum on the Achievement of Mathematically Promising Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gavin, M. Katherine; Casa, Tutita M.; Adelson, Jill L.; Carroll, Susan R.; Sheffield, Linda Jensen

    2009-01-01

    The primary aim of Project M[superscript 3]: Mentoring Mathematical Minds was to develop and field test advanced units for mathematically promising elementary students based on exemplary practices in gifted and mathematics education. This article describes the development of the units and reports on mathematics achievement results for students in…

  15. Elementary School Principals' Knowledge of Literacy Development and Instruction and Students' Reading Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherrill, Carol A.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if the knowledge of literacy development and reading instruction practices an elementary school principal possesses impacts the level of reading achievement of his/her students. Principals' scores on an assessment of knowledge of literacy development and instruction were compared to students'…

  16. A Diagnostic-Remediation Teaching System for Enhancing Elementary Students' Science Listening Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Sheau-Wen; Liu, Yu

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore elementary students' listening comprehension changes using a Web-based teaching system that can diagnose and remediate students' science listening comprehension problems during scientific inquiry. The 3-component system consisted of a 9-item science listening comprehension test, a 37-item diagnostic test,…

  17. Visuospatial training improves elementary students' mathematics performance.

    PubMed

    Lowrie, Tom; Logan, Tracy; Ramful, Ajay

    2017-06-01

    Although spatial ability and mathematics performance are highly correlated, there is scant research on the extent to which spatial ability training can improve mathematics performance. This study evaluated the efficacy of a visuospatial intervention programme within classrooms to determine the effect on students' (1) spatial reasoning and (2) mathematics performance as a result of the intervention. The study involved grade six students (ages 10-12) in eight classes. There were five intervention classes (n = 120) and three non-intervention control classes (n = 66). A specifically designed 10-week spatial reasoning programme was developed collaboratively with the participating teachers, with the intervention replacing the standard mathematics curriculum. The five classroom teachers in the intervention programme presented 20 hr of activities aimed at enhancing students' spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation skills. The spatial reasoning programme led to improvements in both spatial ability and mathematics performance relative to the control group who received standard mathematics instruction. Our study is the first to show that a classroom-based spatial reasoning intervention improves elementary school students' mathematics performance. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  18. Identifying and Working with Elementary Asperger's Students in Rural America

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Barton; Loiacono, Vito; Vacca, James S.

    2010-01-01

    Currently, somewhere in a rural American school sits an elementary-aged student who has been labeled by a teacher and his/her peers as the "Little Professor" according to the Asperger's Syndrome Coalition of the United States. The onset of Asperger's Syndrome is recognized and occurs later than what is typical of autism. A significant…

  19. A Meta-Analysis of Schema Instruction on the Problem-Solving Performance of Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peltier, Corey; Vannest, Kimberly J.

    2017-01-01

    A variety of instructional practices have been recommended to increase the problem-solving (PS) performance of elementary school children. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to systematically review research on the use of schema instruction to increase the PS performance of elementary school-age students. A total of 21 studies, with 3,408…

  20. Effect of Principals' Communication on Female Elementary School Teachers' Perception of Morale and Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helmer, Brad C.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine if a direct relationship between the ways in which a principal communicates information to his or her classroom teachers and the classroom teachers' perception of the campus' morale and students' learning exists. The sample included 124 female elementary school teachers of 13 elementary schools in a…

  1. Social-Emotional and Character Development Scale: Development and Initial Validation with Urban Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ji, Peter; DuBois, David L.; Flay, Brian R.

    2013-01-01

    The Social-Emotional and Character Development Scale (SECDS) is intended as a measure of social-emotional skills and character for elementary school-age children. This study investigated the measure's psychometric properties using data collected over 5 waves for a cohort of students followed from Grades 3 to 5 in 14 urban elementary schools (N…

  2. Students' Difficulties with Definitions in the Context of Proofs in Elementary Set Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaker, Hedieh; Berger, Margot

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we explore first-year students' difficulties with the use and interpretation of definitions of mathematical objects as they attempt proof construction exercises in the area of elementary set theory. The participants are students at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa. In this study the activities and utterances of…

  3. Effects of Applying Blogs to Assist Life Education Instruction for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lou, Shi-Jer; Kao, Mei-Chuan; Yen, Hsiu-Ling; Shih, Ru-Chu

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study aims to explore the effects of applying blog-assisted life education instruction to fifth grade elementary school students. The subjects were 30 fifth-grade students from southern Taiwan. The teaching experiment lasted 10 weeks with three sessions conducted each week. In the experiment, instructional effectiveness and the…

  4. Elementary Teacher Knowledge of and Practices for Teaching Reading to African American Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Little, Camille

    2017-01-01

    State standardized tests results indicated that between 2012 and 2016, fewer African American students at a rural, Title I elementary school met state standards in reading compared with other racial/ethnic groups of students. A gap in practice existed because the school and district had not conducted studies to understand teacher knowledge and…

  5. The Influence of Physical Education on Physical Activity Levels of Urban Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dauenhauer, Brian D.; Keating, Xiaofen D.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the role of physical education in shaping physical activity patterns. Seventy-one Hispanic and African American elementary students participated in the study. Students attended one 30- and one 60-min physical education class weekly. Pedometer steps were used to estimate physical activity. Data suggest that…

  6. Adding It Up: Is Computer Use Associated with Higher Achievement in Public Elementary Mathematics Classrooms?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kao, Linda Lee

    2009-01-01

    Despite support for technology in schools, there is little evidence indicating whether using computers in public elementary mathematics classrooms is associated with improved outcomes for students. This exploratory study examined data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, investigating whether students' frequency of computer use was related…

  7. Making the Grade in Mathematics: Elementary School Mathematics in the United States, Taiwan, and Japan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevenson, Harold W.; And Others

    Over the last decade, it has been reported that American students lag behind their Asian counterparts as early as the first grade. This study investigated variables influencing elementary school students' mathematics achievement in Japan, Taiwan, and America. Children's mathematics achievement and cognitive abilities were tested. Children,…

  8. Effectiveness of an Afterschool-Based Aggression Management Program for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Staecker, Emma; Puett, Eli; Afrassiab, Shayda; Ketcherside, Miranda; Azim, Sabiya; Rhodes, Darson; Wang, Anna

    2016-01-01

    A school-community partnership team implemented an aggression management curriculum in an afterschool program as an early-intervention strategy at the upper elementary level. Although statistically significant differences in physical or psychological aggression were not found, the partnership team gained a better understanding of evidence-based…

  9. Creative Thinking Abilities of Rural and Urban Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irons, Jerry Lee

    The 1967 study was designed to determine if there were significant differences in the creative thinking abilities of students attending certain urban and rural elementary schools in North Texas. The target population was selected from 7 rural and 2 urban school districts. The subjects, 100 urban and 100 rural, were matched in terms of 6 selection…

  10. Prevalence of Speech Disorders in Elementary School Students in Jordan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Jazi, Aya Bassam; Al-Khamra, Rana

    2015-01-01

    Goal: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of speech (articulation, voice, and fluency) disorders among elementary school students from first grade to fourth grade. This research was based on the screening implemented as part of the Madrasati Project, which is designed to serve the school system in Jordan. Method: A sample of 1,231…

  11. Elementary Mathematics: Not so Elementary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scillieri, Elissa Mains

    2012-01-01

    International tests indicate that United States students have been outscored by other countries in the area of mathematics. Researchers warn that elementary mathematics curricula and instruction in this country is not designed around helping students achieve mathematics proficiency. Much of this could also be attributed to the weak development and…

  12. Multilevel Effects of Student and Classroom Factors on Elementary Science Achievement in Five Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaya, Sibel; Rice, Diana C.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the effects of individual student factors and classroom factors on elementary science achievement within and across five countries. The student-level factors included gender, self-confidence in science and home resources. The classroom-level factors included teacher characteristics, instructional variables and classroom…

  13. Effects of Computer Applications on Elementary School Students' Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of Students in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Yuen-kuang Cliff; Chang, Huei-wen; Chen, Yu-wen

    2008-01-01

    A meta-analysis was performed to synthesize existing research comparing the effects of computer applications (i.e., computer-assisted instruction, computer simulations, and Web-based learning) versus traditional instruction on elementary school students' achievement in Taiwan. Forty-eight studies were located from four sources, and their…

  14. Using Rasch Modeling to Explore Students' Understanding of Elementary School Ideas about Energy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herrmann Abell, Cari F.; DeBoer, George E.

    2015-01-01

    Energy plays a central role in our society, so it is essential that all citizens understand what energy is and how it moves and changes form. However, research has shown that students of all ages have difficulty understanding these abstract concepts. This paper presents a summary of elementary, middle, and high school students' understanding of…

  15. Analyzing the Psychological Symptoms of Students in Undergraduate Program in Elementary Mathematics Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masal, Ercan; Koc, Mustafa; Colak, Tugba Seda; Takunyaci, Mithat

    2013-01-01

    The main purpose of this research is to analyse whether there is a difference or not in levels of having psychological symptoms of the students of undergraduate program in elementary mathematics teaching. Another aim of the research is to determine whether the levels of having psychological symptoms of the students differ or not regarding various…

  16. Elementary Career Education Guide, Volume 2: Career Awareness--Primary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watertown Independent School District 1, SD.

    Volume 2 of the six-volume articulated elementary education career guide deals with the career awareness level of career education and aims at developing student career identity. The lessons in the volume are divided and color-coded by grade level (early childhood, primary levels one, two, and three corresponding respectively with grades K-three,…

  17. Elementary student and prospective teachers' agri-food system literacy: Understandings of agricultural and science education's goals for learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trexler, Cary Jay

    1999-09-01

    Although rhetoric abounds in the agricultural education literature regarding the public's dearth of agri-food system literacy, problems arise when establishing educational interventions to help ameliorate illiteracy. Researchers do not fully know what individuals understand about the complex agri-food system. Hence, educational programs and curricula may focus on areas where students already possess well developed and scientifically accurate schemata, while ignoring other areas where incompatible or naive understandings persist. Democratic decisions about complex societal and environmental issues, such as trade-offs of our industrial agri-food system, require individuals to possess understandings of complex interrelationships. This exploratory qualitative study determines what two groups---elementary students and prospective elementary school teachers---understand about selected concepts foundational to agri-food system literacy. To ground the study in current national education curricular standards, a synthesis of both agricultural and science education benchmarks was developed. This helped structure interviews with the study's informants: nine elementary students and nine prospective elementary teachers. Analysis of discourse was based upon a conceptual change methodology. Findings showed that informant background and non-school experiences were linked to agri-food system literacy, while formal, in-school learning was not. For elementary students, high socio-economic status, gardening and not living in urban areas were correlates with literacy; the prospective teacher group exhibited similar trends. Informants understood that food came from farms where plants and animals were raised. For the majority, however, farms were described as large gardens. Additionally, informants lacked a clear understanding of the roles soil and fertilizers play in crop production. Further, few spoke of weeds as competitors with crops for growth requirements. Informants understood that

  18. Gender-specific relationships between socioeconomic disadvantage and obesity in elementary school students.

    PubMed

    Zahnd, Whitney E; Rogers, Valerie; Smith, Tracey; Ryherd, Susan J; Botchway, Albert; Steward, David E

    2015-12-01

    To assess the gender-specific effect of socioeconomic disadvantage on obesity in elementary school students. We evaluated body mass index (BMI) data from 2,648 first- and fourth-grade students (1,377 male and 1,271 female students) in eight elementary schools in Springfield, Illinois, between 2012 and 2014. Other factors considered in analysis were grade level, year of data collection, school, race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic disadvantage (SD). Students were considered SD if they were eligible for free/reduced price lunch, a school-based poverty measure. We performed Fisher's exact test or chi-square analysis to assess differences in gender and obesity prevalence by the other factors and gender-stratified logistic regression analysis to determine if SD contributed to increased odds of obesity. A higher proportion of SD female students (20.8%) were obese compared to their non-SD peers (15.2%) (p=0.01). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis indicated no difference in obesity in SD and non-SD male students. However, in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, SD female students had higher odds of obesity than their peers. Even after controlling for grade level, school, year of data collection, and race/ethnicity, SD female students had 49% higher odds of obesity than their non-SD classmates (odds ratio:1.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.09-2.04). Obesity was elevated in SD female students, even after controlling for factors such as race/ethnicity, but such an association was not seen in male students. Further study is warranted to determine the cause of this disparity, and interventions should be developed to target SD female students. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Behavioral Impacts of a Mindfulness Pilot Intervention for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harpin, Scott B.; Rossi, AnneMarie; Kim, Amber K.; Swanson, Leah M.

    2016-01-01

    Elementary school students in today's urban classrooms face many life circumstances at home and in their communities that contribute to stress and coping needs. These stressors are often brought into the classroom, which impact learning, behaviors, and overall academic performance. Mindfulness has been used in classroom settings, particularly with…

  20. An Overview of the Environmental Knowledge System for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xuehua, Zhang

    2004-01-01

    Environmental education should set different objectives for different learning subjects. At the elementary school level, the primary goal is to establish environmental awareness so that students can perceptually appreciate and comprehend how rich and colorful the environment is. In this article, the author discusses a systematic approach that can…

  1. Affective Management Strategies for Behavior Disordered Students--Elementary and Secondary Levels.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkholder, Lynn D.; And Others

    The Positive Education Program (PEP) in Cuyahoga, Ohio, incorporates a token economy and group process approach into the daily school routine for emotionally disturbed and behaviorally handicapped students. At elementary and secondary levels, minimum rules and expectations as well as privileges awarded for behaviors are clearly set forth. The…

  2. An Outline of the Solar System: Activities for the Elementary Student.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartsfield, John, Comp.; Sellers, Millie, Comp.

    This booklet provides information and five worksheets for elementary students studying the solar system. Fact sheets provide information on the sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and comets. The worksheets are entitled: (1) Astronomical Unit; (2) Solar System Trivia; (3) Solar System Flash…

  3. Efficacy of Two Mathematics Interventions for Enhancing Fluency with Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mong, Michael D.; Mong, Kristi W.

    2010-01-01

    An alternating treatments design was used to evaluate two curriculum-based mathematics interventions designed to enhance fluency with three elementary school students. Results indicate that both the Math to Mastery (MTM) intervention and the Cover, Copy, Compare (CCC) intervention were effective at increasing mathematics fluency, as measured by…

  4. The Influence of Drama on Elementary Students' Written Narratives and On-Task Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Alida; Berry, Katherine A.

    2014-01-01

    Dramatic language arts integration (DLA) and conventional language arts (CLA) lessons were compared for their influence on third grade students' written narrative cohesion and on-task behavior in a self-contained, nonpublic elementary classroom. Participants included students (N = 14) with comorbid language-based learning disabilities (LD) and…

  5. Making space more interesting to elementary students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edlund, J.

    When in life do we take the big decision of deciding which path in our career we are going to take? Is this decision made from our experiences in school or is it taken before? Do our family or our friends hopes and dreams for us have any impact on our decision? These are questions that are useful for understanding why some people choose to work with science and why other has chosen another career. In my work to help the university to recruit new student to their master of science in space engineering programme, I have been visiting an elementary school and talked about different topics in space science. The pupils were very interested but when I did a survey of their dream jobs and future career I saw that most of them have hopes of a career that are based on their present talent and not on what education they are going to have. 11 out of 17 students that did this survey wanted to be some kind of artist or soccer professional. Only 4 of them had chosen a career that there are educations for. I do not think this is the situation only for this school, I think this situation is common for children I this age. Since the chance of being a pro in any sport is a really hard thing, probably the most of them have to give up their dream and chose a more realistic approach to their future career. This leaves us with a majority of the students that have not yet had their path chosen and hopefully with help of teachers and special lectures we can make science more attractive to them. This sound like an easy problem, since most of the students finds space really interesting. But there are some problems. The teachers do not have the kind of education, especially in elementary school that is needed for the kids to get proper answer to their questions. The solution is not easy. Should the teachers take more courses in physics and chemistry or should it be their responsibility to search for facts when these kinds of questions appear? I found that in some cases the student have

  6. Reading Skills of Students With Speech Sound Disorders at Three Stages of Literacy Development

    PubMed Central

    Skebo, Crysten M.; Lewis, Barbara A.; Freebairn, Lisa A.; Tag, Jessica; Ciesla, Allison Avrich; Stein, Catherine M.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The relationship between phonological awareness, overall language, vocabulary, and nonlinguistic cognitive skills to decoding and reading comprehension was examined for students at 3 stages of literacy development (i.e., early elementary school, middle school, and high school). Students with histories of speech sound disorders (SSD) with and without language impairment (LI) were compared to students without histories of SSD or LI (typical language; TL). Method In a cross-sectional design, students ages 7;0 (years; months) to 17;9 completed tests that measured reading, language, and nonlinguistic cognitive skills. Results For the TL group, phonological awareness predicted decoding at early elementary school, and overall language predicted reading comprehension at early elementary school and both decoding and reading comprehension at middle school and high school. For the SSD-only group, vocabulary predicted both decoding and reading comprehension at early elementary school, and overall language predicted both decoding and reading comprehension at middle school and decoding at high school. For the SSD and LI group, overall language predicted decoding at all 3 literacy stages and reading comprehension at early elementary school and middle school, and vocabulary predicted reading comprehension at high school. Conclusion Although similar skills contribute to reading across the age span, the relative importance of these skills changes with children’s literacy stages. PMID:23833280

  7. Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Science to Improve Student Content Knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stephenson, Robert L.

    The majority of Grade 5 students demonstrate limited science knowledge on state assessments. This trend has been documented since 2010 with no evidence of improvement. Because state accountability formulas include proficiency scores and carry sanctions against districts that fail to meet proficiency thresholds, improved student performance in science is an important issue to school districts. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary teachers' perceptions about their students' science knowledge, the strategies used to teach science, the barriers affecting science teaching, and the self-efficacy beliefs teachers maintain for teaching science. This study, guided by Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Bandura's concept of self-efficacy, was a bounded instrumental case study in which 15 participants, required to be teaching K-5 elementary science in the county, were interviewed. An analytic technique was used to review the qualitative interview data through open coding, clustering, and analytical coding resulting in identified categorical themes that addressed the research questions. Key findings reflect students' limited content knowledge in earth and physical science. Teachers identified barriers including limited science instructional time, poor curricular resources, few professional learning opportunities, concern about new state standards, and a lack of teaching confidence. To improve student content knowledge, teachers identified the need for professional development. The project is a professional development series provided by a regional education service agency for K-5 teachers to experience science and engineering 3-dimensional learning. Area students will demonstrate deeper science content knowledge and benefit from improved science instructional practice and learning opportunities to become science problem solvers and innovative contributors to society.

  8. Fear and Loathing in Elementary School: Lessons from a Third Grader about Better Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Militello, Matthew; Militello, Luke

    2013-01-01

    Recent educational accountability efforts have married student assessments with reform mandates and sanctions. As a result, students--beginning in early elementary grades--are feeling the pressures of this new era of high-stakes accountability. This article chronicles a story of the consequences of high-stakes testing on a father and his son.…

  9. Examining elementary students' perceptions of engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oware, Euridice A.

    There has been a national focus on improving K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The integration of engineering education from kindergarten through high school (K-12) has been identified as key to sustaining the U.S. economy and standard of living. Misconceptions about the nature of engineering may deter children from even considering this profession. Currently, there are few research studies on young children's perceptions of engineers, and such research can be used to support children along STEM pathways. The purpose of this research was to investigate elementary students' perceptions of engineers for children enrolled in a gifted and talented outreach program. Participants included students enrolled in two structural engineering classes: one for 3rd and 4th graders and another for 5th and 6th grade students. Participants represented an age group that is not typically exposed to engineering. This research was framed within a constructivist theoretical framework, and qualitative research methods were utilized to develop a rich understanding of the perspectives of students enrolled in the engineering classes. Data collection included student pre- and post-questionnaires, Draw-an-Engineer tasks, and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis entailed the use of open and axial coding. Trustworthiness of data was determined through triangulation of multiple data sources. Results demonstrated how children describe the work of engineers, objects associated with engineering, tools used or created by engineers, and professional characteristics of engineers. In addition, images of engineers were discussed and influences on students' perceptions of engineers were identified. The findings of this study have implications for the development of formal and informal K-12 curricula and programs that focus on improving students' understanding and engagement in engineering. Implications for researchers interested in studying children

  10. Special Education Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Daily Living Skills Instruction for Students with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spencer, Jamala

    2017-01-01

    The question of which strategies for teaching daily living skills (DLS) are most effective for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires increased attention. Special education elementary teachers may not have the instructional strategies necessary to teach DLS to students with ASD. DLS instruction for students with ASD is important…

  11. The effects of formative assessment on student self-regulation, motivational beliefs, and achievement in elementary science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Melissa Digennaro

    Goals 2000 set forth a bold vision for U.S. students: they would be "first in the world in science and mathematics" by the year 2000. Performance indicators such as the TIMSS-R (1999) and NAEP (2000) reports suggest that U.S. students have not yet reached that goal. This study intended to learn how specific assessment strategies might contribute to improved student performance in science. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of formative assessment with reflection on students' motivational beliefs, self-regulatory skills, and achievement in elementary science. The study aimed to find out whether and how classroom applications of formative assessment during science instruction might influence fifth-grade students' attitudes and self-perceptions about science learning, self-regulatory learning behaviors, and achievement. To explore the effects of the assessment intervention, the study utilized a mixed methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative investigations of treatment and control groups during a four-week intervention period. Quantitative measures included student self-report surveys administered pre- and post-treatment and an end-of-unit science test. Qualitative measures included classroom observations, student interviews (post-treatment), and a teacher interview (post-treatment). Findings indicated that the fifth-grade students in this study had positive attitudes toward science and high levels of self-efficacy for science. Results suggested that these elementary students employed a wide variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support science learning. Findings revealed that these fifth graders believed formative assessment with reflection was beneficial for science learning outcomes. Research results did not show that the formative assessment intervention contributed to significant differences between treatment and control groups. However, the data revealed different levels of academic achievement and self

  12. At-Risk Student Mobility in an Urban Elementary School: Effects on Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shoho, Alan R.; Oleszewski, Ashley

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of at-risk student mobility on academic achievement in an urban elementary school. Math and reading scores from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) of 172 third, fourth, and fifth grade students from an urban school district in South Central Texas were examined to determine whether…

  13. Elementary particles in the early Universe

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gromov, N.A., E-mail: gromov@dm.komisc.ru

    The high-temperature limit of the Standard Model generated by the contractions of gauge groups is discussed. Contraction parameters of gauge group SU(2) of the Electroweak Model and gauge group SU(3) of Quantum Chromodynamics are taken identical and tending to zero when the temperature increases. Properties of the elementary particles change drastically at the infinite temperature limit: all particles lose masses, all quarks are monochromatic. Electroweak interactions become long-range and are mediated by neutral currents. Particles of different kind do not interact. It looks like some stratification with only one sort of particles in each stratum. The Standard Model passes inmore » this limit through several stages, which are distinguished by the powers of the contraction parameter. For any stage intermediate models are constructed and the exact expressions for the respective Lagrangians are presented. The developed approach describes the evolution of the Standard Model in the early Universe from the Big Bang up to the end of several nanoseconds.« less

  14. Structural Relationships among Variables Affecting Elementary School Students' Career Preparation Behavior: Using a Multi-Group Structural Equation Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Sun Hee; Jun, JuSung

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural relationships between parent support, career decision self-efficacy, career maturity, and career preparation behavior for elementary school students (5th and 6th grade) in Korea and to examine if there are gender differences. A total of 609 students of 7 elementary schools in Seoul, Korea was…

  15. How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students' Reading Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mokhtari, Kouider; Thoma, Jennifer; Edwards, Patricia

    2009-01-01

    In this column, we share the collective reflections of a group of teachers and a school administrator in one Midwestern elementary school, which highlight the value of using data collaboratively to bring about instructional change and to improve student reading achievement.

  16. The Belief Systems of University Supervisors in an Elementary Student-Teaching Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeichner, Kenneth M.; Tabachnick, B. Robert

    1982-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the range of supervisory belief systems that existed among nine university supervisors of elementary education student teachers. In interviews, three distinct belief systems emerged: (1) technical/instrumental; (2) personal growth centered; and (3) critical. (FG)

  17. Early School Engagement and Late Elementary Outcomes for Maltreated Children in Foster Care

    PubMed Central

    Pears, Katherine C.; Kim, Hyoun K.; Fisher, Philip A.; Yoerger, Karen

    2013-01-01

    Children with a history of maltreatment and placement into foster care face elevated risks of poor psychosocial outcomes including school failure, substance use, externalizing and deviant peer association. For children in the general population, school engagement appears to be a promotive factor in preventing negative outcomes. In this study, differences in behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of school engagement in early elementary school were explored in maltreated children in foster care (n = 93) and a community comparison group of low SES, non-maltreated children (n = 54). It was also hypothesized that the three dimensions of school engagement would mediate the association between being maltreated and in foster care and several outcomes in late elementary school (Grades 3 to 5): academic competence, endorsement of substance use, externalizing behaviors, and deviant peer association. Measures were multi-method and multi-informant. Results showed that the children in foster care had lower affective and cognitive school engagement than children in the community comparison group. Structural equation modeling revealed that both affective and cognitive school engagement mediated the association between group status and academic competence in late elementary school. Cognitive engagement also mediated the association between group status and engagement in risk behaviors. The identification of dimensions of early school engagement that predict later outcomes suggests potential points of intervention to change trajectories of academic and behavioral adjustment for maltreated children in foster care. PMID:23477532

  18. Elementary Teacher Assessments of Principal Servant Leadership, Their Experience with Team Learning and Student Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zahn, Brian

    2011-01-01

    This study compared teacher assessments of principal servant leadership and their experience with team learning in high, moderate, and low student academic achieving elementary schools. The participants were from fifteen moderate need elementary schools located in southern New York State counties. One hundred sixty two teachers responded to a 36…

  19. Reigniting Writers: Using the Literacy Block with Elementary Students to Support Authentic Writing Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanch, Norine; Forsythe, Lenora C.; Van Allen, Jennifer H.; Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth

    2017-01-01

    Given the importance of writing, especially in light of college and career readiness emphasis, and the observations that time spent writing in context diminishes over a student's years in school, this article proposes to reignite writing instruction in elementary classrooms through three practical approaches for supporting students in authentic…

  20. Change in Elementary School Students' Misconceptions on Material Systems after a Theoretical-Practical Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cañada-Cañada, Florentina; González-Gómez, David; Airado-Rodríguez, Diego; Melo Niño, Lina Viviana; Dávila Acedo, María Antonia

    2017-01-01

    Students get to Elementary School with a series of misconceptions which are not necessarily in agreement with the scientific knowledge. Misconceptions result from the student's attempts to understand their previous experiences resulting from their interaction with their environment and they must be taken into account in educational practice to…

  1. Investigating Effects of Embedding Collaboration in an Intelligent Tutoring System for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsen, Jennifer K.; Rummel, Nikol; Aleven, Vincent

    2016-01-01

    Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are beneficial for individual students learning in several domains, including mathematics where they have been used to support both secondary and elementary students. Collaborative learning may be beneficial to include in ITSs, particularly for conceptual knowledge. There is little work on collaborative ITSs,…

  2. Ku I Ke Ao: Hawaiian Cultural Identity and Student Progress at Kamehameha Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stender, Robert Holoua

    2010-01-01

    The relationship between Hawaiian cultural identity and student progress at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) is the focal point of this study. As the student demographics continue to evolve at Kamehameha Schools, most recently with increasing numbers of children coming from orphan and indigent backgrounds, teachers want greater understanding of…

  3. Improving Elementary School Students' Understanding of Historical Time: Effects of Teaching with "Timewise"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Groot-Reuvekamp, Marjan; Ros, Anje; van Boxtel, Carla

    2018-01-01

    The teaching of historical time is an important aspect in elementary school curricula. This study focuses on the effects of a curriculum intervention with "Timewise," a teaching approach developed to improve students' understanding of historical time using timelines as a basis with which students can develop their understanding of…

  4. Elementary Teachers' Perceptions on Writing Proficiency of Military-Connected Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weatherwax, Kerrin

    2017-01-01

    At Base Elementary School (BES) in the Southwest United States school administrators were concerned that writing proficiency levels for 2014-2015 were below district and state standards and there was not a clear understanding of teachers' perceptions on writing proficiency of military-connected (MC) students at the target site. Therefore, the…

  5. Drug and Alcohol Attitudes and Usage among Elementary and Secondary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fournet, Glenn P.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Surveyed elementary and secondary school students (N=2,290) from four rural school districts to measure incidences and attitudes toward drug and alcohol use. Subjects' responses indicated that social learning theory was feasible theory for explaining drug involvement in the young. Suggests that intervention with drug and alcohol education programs…

  6. Effect of an After-School Garden Club Program on Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGriff, Maggie Caroline

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if three elementary school garden club programs influenced students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis took place, in the form of pretest and posttest questionnaires as well as participant interviews. Overall,…

  7. Development and validation of the computer technology literacy self-assessment scale for Taiwanese elementary school students.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chiung-Sui

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the development and validation of an instrument to identify various dimensions of the computer technology literacy self-assessment scale (CTLS) for elementary school students. The instrument included five CTLS dimensions (subscales): the technology operation skills, the computer usages concepts, the attitudes toward computer technology, the learning with technology, and the Internet operation skills. Participants were 1,539 elementary school students in Taiwan. Data analysis indicated that the instrument developed in the study had satisfactory validity and reliability. Correlations analysis supported the legitimacy of using multiple dimensions in representing students' computer technology literacy. Significant differences were found between male and female students, and between grades on some CTLS dimensions. Suggestions are made for use of the instrument to examine complicated interplays between students' computer behaviors and their computer technology literacy.

  8. The Effects of Family Cultural Capital and Reading Motivation on Reading Behaviour in Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiu, Shao-I; Hong, Fu-Yuan; Hu, Hsiu-yuan

    2015-01-01

    This study proposed and tested a structural model of the effects of family cultural capital and reading motivation on reading behaviour in elementary school students. Participants were 467 fifth and sixth graders from elementary schools in Changhua County, Taiwan. The instruments employed in this study included the Family Cultural Capital Scale,…

  9. How Teacher Aides Present Cultural Topics in Elementary French Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waters, Barbara

    1981-01-01

    Describes project designed to enhance the elementary core French program through presentations of history, culture, and life-style of French-speaking peoples by noncertified Francophones from the vicinity. Project has been successful and has produced a more tolerant outlook among students for other cultures. Uses foods of France and early life in…

  10. Students' development of astronomy concepts across time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plummer, Julia Diane

    2006-02-01

    The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) recommend that students understand the apparent patterns of motion of the sun, moon and stars visible by the end of early elementary school. However, little information exists on students' knowledge of apparent celestial motion or instruction in this area. The goals of this dissertation were to describe children's knowledge of apparent celestial motion across elementary and middle school, explore early elementary students' ability to learn these topics through planetarium instruction, and begin the development of a learning progression for these concepts, First, third, and eighth grade students (N=60) were interviewed using a planetarium-like setting that allowed the students to demonstrate their ideas both verbally and with their own motions on an artificial sky. Analysis of these interviews suggests that students are not making the types of observations of the sky necessary to learn apparent celestial motion and any instruction they may have received has not helped them reach an accurate understanding of most topics. Most students at each grade level could not accurately describe the patterns of motion. Though the older students were more accurate in most of their descriptions than the younger students, in several areas the eighth grade students showed no improvement over the third grade students. The use of kinesthetic learning techniques in a planetarium program was also explored as a method to improve understanding of celestial motion. Pre- and post-interviews were conducted with participants from seven classes of first and second grade students (N=63). Students showed significant improvement in all areas of apparent celestial motion covered by the planetarium program and surpassed the middle school students' understanding of these concepts in most areas. This suggests that students in early elementary school are capable of learning the accurate description of apparent celestial motion. The results

  11. A Qualitative Study of Elementary Afterschool Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of Afterschool Programs on Students Receiving Special Education Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legaspi, Margareth

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study, "A Qualitative Study of Elementary Afterschool Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of Afterschool Programs on Students Receiving Special Education Services," was to assess elementary afterschool teachers' perceptions of the impact of afterschool programs on students receiving special education…

  12. The relation between Assessment for Learning and elementary students' cognitive and metacognitive strategy use.

    PubMed

    Baas, Diana; Castelijns, Jos; Vermeulen, Marjan; Martens, Rob; Segers, Mien

    2015-03-01

    Assessment for Learning (AfL) is believed to create a rich learning environment in which students develop their cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Monitoring student growth and providing scaffolds that shed light on the next step in the learning process are hypothesized to be essential elements of AfL that enhance cognitive and metacognitive strategies. However, empirical evidence for the relation between AfL and students' strategy use is scarce. This study investigates the relation between AfL and elementary school students' use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. The sample comprised 528 grade four to six students (9- to 12-year-olds) from seven Dutch elementary schools. Students' perceptions of AfL and their cognitive and metacognitive strategy use were measured by means of questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relations among the variables. The results reveal that monitoring activities that provide students an understanding of where they are in their learning process predict Students' task orientation and planning. Scaffolding activities that support students in taking the next step in their learning are positively related to the use of both surface and deep-level learning strategies and the extent to which they evaluate their learning process after performing tasks. The results underline the importance of assessment practices in ceding responsibility to students in taking control of their own learning. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  13. The Achievement Checkup: Tracking the Post-Elementary Outcomes of Baltimore Need-Based Scholarship Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuh, Alex

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the high school experiences, graduation rates and post-secondary attendance rates of students who received need-based scholarships to attend private elementary schools from the Children's Scholarship Fund Baltimore (CSFB). CSFB provides funds to students from low-income families in the Baltimore area to attend the private or…

  14. Exploring the Assessment of and Relationship between Elementary Students' Scientific Creativity and Science Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Kuay-Keng; Lin, Shu-Fen; Hong, Zuway-R; Lin, Huann-shyang

    2016-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to (a) develop and validate instruments to assess elementary students' scientific creativity and science inquiry, (b) investigate the relationship between the two competencies, and (c) compare the two competencies among different grade level students. The scientific creativity test was composed of 7 open-ended items…

  15. Changes in Student Science Interest from Elementary to Middle School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutts, Trudi E.

    This study is a transcendental phenomenological study that described the experience of students’ interest in science from elementary school through middle school grades and the identification of the factors that increase or decrease interest in science. Numerous researchers have found that interest in science changes among children and the change in interest seems to modulate student motivation, which ultimately leads to fewer children choosing not only science classes in the future but science careers. Research studies have identified numerous factors that affect student interest in science; however, this study incorporated the lived experience of the child and looked at this interest in science through the lens of the child. The study design was a collective cross-case study that was multi-site based. This study utilized a sample of children in fifth grade classes of three different elementary schools, two distinct seventh grade classes of different middle schools, and ninth grade children from one high school in the State of Illinois. The phenomenon was investigated through student interviews. The use of one-on-one semi-structured interviews limited to 45 minutes in length provided the researcher with data of each child’s description of science interest. All interviews were audio- recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was collected and analyzed in order to identify themes, and finally checked for validity. The most significant findings of this study, and possible factors contributing to science interest in children as they progress from elementary to high school, were those findings relating to hands-on activities, the degree to which a student was challenged, the offering of new versus previously studied topics in the curriculum, the perceived relevance of the curricular materials to personal life, and the empowerment children felt when they were allowed to make choices related to their learning experiences. This study’s possible implications for

  16. Professional Development School Triads Inquiring about Student Work in Elementary Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coon-Kitt, Mary Jayne; Nolan, James F.; Lloyd, Gwendolyn M.; Romig, Gail

    2015-01-01

    This article reports on a case of cross-role triads (mentor, intern, and supervisor) in a professional development school (PDS) setting engaged in the process of looking at student work in elementary mathematics over time. The study represents a significant effort to understand what inquiry-oriented behavior looks like in this context. By…

  17. Elementary EFL Students' Practice of Peer Assessment of Oral Classroom Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Yu-ju; Chen, Shu-cheng; Samuelson, Beth Lewis

    2016-01-01

    Role-play is an oral classroom activity that has been promoted to provide young learners with opportunities to practice English in meaningful contexts. To familiarize elementary students with this group task, to encourage them to pay attention to their peers' performances, and to replace traditional paper-and-pencil modes of evaluating speaking…

  18. Play Activities of At-Risk and Non-At-Risk Elementary Students: Is There a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poidevant, John M.; Spruill, David A.

    1993-01-01

    Examined the play activities of 49 at-risk (AR) and non-at-risk (NAR) elementary school students, using the Smilansky Scale for Evaluation of Dramatic and Sociodramatic Play measure. Found that AR students displayed higher levels of hostile acting out behaviors than did NAR students, whereas the NAR group engaged in more verbal communication…

  19. Opinions of Upper Elementary Students about a "Good Teacher" (Case Study in Turkey).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aksoy, Naciye

    This study examined the opinions of 170 Turkish elementary students in grades 6-8 about what makes a good teacher. Students completed surveys that asked about how they would describe a good teacher, what a teacher should do to be good, and what they would do and would not do if they were good teachers. Questions were open-ended to elicit student…

  20. Fostering Third-Grade Students' Use of Scientific Models with the Water Cycle: Elementary Teachers' Conceptions and Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vo, Tina; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura; Schwarz, Christina V.

    2015-01-01

    Elementary teachers play a crucial role in supporting and scaffolding students' model-based reasoning about natural phenomena, particularly complex systems such as the water cycle. However, little research exists to inform efforts in supporting elementary teachers' learning to foster model-centered, science learning environments. To address this…

  1. The Impact of Guided Student-Generated Questioning on Chemistry Achievement and Self-Efficacy of Elementary Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moseley, Christine; Bonner, Emily; Ibey, Marilyn

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the use of Guided Student-Generated Questioning (GSGQ) as a metacognitive instructional strategy to increase chemistry achievement and self-efficacy of elementary preservice teachers. The Chemistry Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), modified from the Biology Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES),was used to determine elementary preservice…

  2. Emerging inequality in effort: A longitudinal investigation of parental involvement and early elementary school-aged children's learning time in Japan.

    PubMed

    Matsuoka, Ryoji; Nakamuro, Makiko; Inui, Tomohiko

    2015-11-01

    While studies on effort (e.g., Carbonaro, 2005; Kariya, 2000, 2013) have revealed relationships among students' effort (e.g., self-reported learning time), socioeconomic status, and school-related factors (e.g., tracking) through secondary education data, whether and how the effort gap emerges and widens in the early years of compulsory education have not been researched. This study investigates the beginning of inequality in effort by using four waves (from first- to fourth-grade students) of the Longitudinal Survey of Babies in the 21st Century, collected in Japan. The results indicate that college-educated parents tend to employ parenting practices that directly and indirectly shape children's learning time; inequality in effort exists, and it becomes exacerbated partly because of parenting differences in a society with a relatively equal elementary education system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Listening to Early Career Teachers: How Can Elementary Mathematics Methods Courses Better Prepare Them to Utilize Standards-Based Practices in Their Classrooms?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coester, Lee Anne

    2010-01-01

    This study was designed to gather input from early career elementary teachers with the goal of finding ways to improve elementary mathematics methods courses. Multiple areas were explored including the degree to which respondents' elementary mathematics methods course focused on the NCTM Process Standards, the teachers' current standards-based…

  4. A pedagogical example of second-order arithmetic sequences applied to the construction of computer passwords by upper elementary grade students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coggins, Porter E.

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this paper is (1) to present how general education elementary school age students constructed computer passwords using digital root sums and second-order arithmetic sequences, (2) argue that computer password construction can be used as an engaging introduction to generate interest in elementary school students to study mathematics related to computer science, and (3) share additional mathematical ideas accessible to elementary school students that can be used to create computer passwords. This paper serves to fill a current gap in the literature regarding the integration of mathematical content accessible to upper elementary school students and aspects of computer science in general, and computer password construction in particular. In addition, the protocols presented here can serve as a hook to generate further interest in mathematics and computer science. Students learned to create a random-looking computer password by using biometric measurements of their shoe size, height, and age in months and to create a second-order arithmetic sequence, then converted the resulting numbers into characters that become their computer passwords. This password protocol can be used to introduce students to good computer password habits that can serve a foundation for a life-long awareness of data security. A refinement of the password protocol is also presented.

  5. Elementary School Students' Spoken Activities and Their Responses in Math Learning by Peer-Tutoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baiduri

    2017-01-01

    Students' activities in the learning process are very important to indicate the quality of learning process. One of which is spoken activity. This study was intended to analyze the elementary school students' spoken activities and their responses in joining Math learning process by peer-tutoring. Descriptive qualitative design was piloted by means…

  6. A Study of Reading Motivation Techniques with Primary Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burlew, Whitney; Gordon, Tracy; Holst, Charla; Smith, Cathy; Ward, Judi; Wheeler, Karen

    This report describes strategies for increasing levels of interest in reading for enjoyment. The targeted population consisted of first, second, and third grade students in three elementary school districts. The schools were located in middle class and affluent suburban communities of a large city in the Midwest. The problem of lack of interest in…

  7. How Do You Know That?: Guiding Early Elementary Students to Develop Evidence-Based Explanations about Animals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Folsom, Jennifer; Hunt, Catherine; Cavicchio, Maria; Schoenemann, Anne; D'Amato, Matthew

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of many animal studies at early grades is to build observation skills, develop a knowledge base, and practice age-appropriate science skills like comparing, describing, and drawing. While these are important learning experiences, the National Science Education Standards also recommend that students engage in scientific inquiry (NRC…

  8. Dynamics of Teacher-Student Relationships: Stability and Change across Elementary School and the Influence on Children’s Academic Success

    PubMed Central

    Spilt, Jantine L.; Hughes, Jan N.; Wu, Jiun-Yu; Kwok, Oi-Man

    2012-01-01

    This study modeled teacher-student relationship trajectories throughout elementary school to predict gains in achievement in an ethnic-diverse sample of 657 academically at-risk students. Teacher reports of Warmth and Conflict were collected in grades 1 to 5. Achievement was tested in grade 1 and 6. For Conflict, low-stable (normative), low-increasing, high-declining, and high-stable trajectories were found. For Warmth, high-declining (normative) and low-increasing patterns were found. Children with early behavioral, academic, or social risks were under-represented in the normative trajectory groups. Chronic conflict was most strongly associated with under achievement. Rising Conflict but not declining Conflict coincided with underachievement. The probability of school failure increased as a function of the timing and length of time children were exposed to relational adversity. PMID:22497209

  9. What's Best for Our Students? Outcomes Are the Driving Force at One High-Achieving Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinzer, Cathy; Taft, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Monte Vista Elementary School is one of 24 K-5 elementary schools in Las Cruces Public Schools, an urban district in southern New Mexico. The school's 450 students reflect the diversity of its Southwestern community: 75% Hispanic, 17% English language learners, and 68% free or reduced lunch, thus qualifying Monte Vista as a Title I school. Monte…

  10. Relative Age Effect in Physical Fitness Among Elementary and Junior High School Students.

    PubMed

    Nakata, Hiroki; Akido, Miki; Naruse, Kumi; Fujiwara, Motoko

    2017-10-01

    The present study investigated characteristics of the relative age effect (RAE) among a general sample of Japanese elementary and junior high school students. Japan applies a unique annual age-grouping by birthdates between April 1 and March 31 of the following year for sport and education. Anthropometric and physical fitness data were obtained from 3,610 Japanese students, including height, weight, the 50-m sprint, standing long jump, grip strength, bent-leg sit-ups, sit and reach, side steps, 20-m shuttle run, and ball throw. We examined RAE-related differences in these data using a one-way analysis of variance by comparing students with birthdates in the first (April-September) versus second (October-March of the following year) semesters. We observed a significant RAE for boys aged 7 to 15 years on both anthropometric and fitness data, but a significant RAE for girls was only evident for physical fitness tests among elementary school and not junior high school students. Thus, a significant RAE in anthropometry and physical fitness was evident in a general sample of school children, and there were RAE gender differences among adolescents.

  11. The Emergence of Student Creativity in Classroom Settings: A Case Study of Elementary Schools in Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Younsoon; Chung, Hye Young; Choi, Kyoulee; Seo, Choyoung; Baek, Eunjoo

    2013-01-01

    This research explores the emergence of student creativity in classroom settings, specifically within two content areas: science and social studies. Fourteen classrooms in three elementary schools in Korea were observed, and the teachers and students were interviewed. The three types of student creativity emerging in the teaching and learning…

  12. How Do Elementary Students in Turkey and the Czech Republic Perceive the Game Concept? A Phenomenographic Study with Draw and Write Technique

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinar Karacan Dogan; Tingaz, Emre Ozan; Hazar, Muhsin; Zvonar, Martin

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to compare the perception concerning game concept of 4th grade students in Turkey and the Czech Republic. 19 fourth grade elementary students in the Czech Republic and 40 fourth grade elementary students in Turkey were selected by criterion and convenience sampling. They responded to a specific question "What is…

  13. The Effect of Teaching Methods and Learning Styles on Capabilities of Writing Essays on Elementary School's Students in East Jakarta

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wuryani; Yufiarti

    2017-01-01

    The objective of this research was to discover the effect of teaching methods and learning styles on the student's ability to write essays. This study was conducted in elementary school in East Jakarta. The population of this studies was 3rd-grade elementary school students who study in East Jakarta. Samples were taken with stratified cluster…

  14. Laptop Computers in the Elementary Classroom: Authentic Instruction with At-Risk Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kemker, Kate; Barron, Ann E.; Harmes, J. Christine

    2007-01-01

    This case study investigated the integration of laptop computers into an elementary classroom in a low socioeconomic status (SES) school. Specifically, the research examined classroom management techniques and aspects of authentic learning relative to the student projects and activities. A mixed methods approach included classroom observations,…

  15. The Impact of Response to Intervention on Student Reading Achievement in Urban Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weaver, Wendy Smyth

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of a Response to Intervention framework had a positive impact on student reading achievement in urban elementary schools. This was a causal-comparative study that examined the reading performance of a sample of kindergarten through grade three students who experienced the Response to…

  16. The Effect of Summer Environmental Education Program (SEEP) on Elementary School Students' Environmental Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erdogan, Mehmet

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Summer Environmental Education Program (SEEP) on elementary school students' environmental knowledge, affect, skills and behavior which are the main components of environmental literacy. The sample consisted of 45 students (25 males, 20 females) studying in 4th through 8th grades and living in…

  17. The Effects of Reinforcing Intermediate Elementary Students to Constructively Use Free Time for Vocational Exploration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosie, Thomas W.

    1975-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of operant conditioning procedures in stimulating intermediate elementary students to constructively utilize free time for pursuing occupational information. (RC)

  18. Urban elementary students' views of environmental scientists, environmental caretakers and environmentally responsible behaviors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horne, Patricia Lynne

    The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of the relationship between urban elementary fifth graders, environmental workers, and the environment. The study examined 320 urban fifth grade elementary students' drawings of environmental scientists (DAEST) and environmental caretakers (DAECT). Additionally, semi-structured interviews were included to elucidate student illustrations. The study's sample represented one-third of all fifth graders in the mid-Atlantic school district selected for this research. Approximately 5% of participants were chosen for follow-up semi-structured interviews based on their illustrations. A general conclusion is some of the stereotypes, particularly related to gender, revealed in prior research (Barman, 1999, Chambers, 1983; Huber & Burton, 1995; Schibeci & Sorensen's, 1983; Sumrall, 1995) are evident among many elementary students. Male environmental scientists were drawn twice as often as female environmental scientists. Females were represented in more pictures of environmental caretakers than environmental scientists. Students overwhelmingly drew environmental scientists (98.1%) and environmental caretakers (76.5%) working alone. Wildlife was noticeably absent from most drawings (85%). Where wildlife was included, it was most often birds (6.9%) and fish (3.1%). More than one species was evident in only 2.5% of the pictures. Fifty percent of environmental caretakers were shown picking up trash from land. Actions such as reducing resource use occurred in only 13 out of 319 pictures (4.1%). Pictures of environmental caretakers sharing knowledge were even less common (2.5%). Almost 22% of females drew multiple individuals compared to 18.5% drawn by males. Females were more likely to show individuals collaborating (22.4% to 16.8%) while males were more likely to show individuals working in opposition (5.2% to 2.0%).

  19. Investigating Elementary School Students' Technology Acceptance by Applying Digital Game-Based Learning to Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Yuh-Ming; Lou, Shi-Jer; Kuo, Sheng-Huang; Shih, Ru-Chu

    2013-01-01

    In order to improve and promote students' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, integrating environmental education into the primary education curriculum has become a key issue for environmental education. For this reason, this study aimed to investigate elementary school students' acceptance of technology applying digital game-based…

  20. Teacher Perceptions and Benefits of Student-Led Conferencing in Southern and Central Illinois Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    West, Kelly L.

    2017-01-01

    Student-led conferences are an alternative method of reporting progress to parents. This qualitative phenomenological research study was conducted in order to examine elementary teachers' perceptions of student-led conferences in comparison to traditional parent-teacher conferences in Central and Southern Illinois. Additionally, the study examined…

  1. Computer Programming with Early Elementary Students with Down Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Matthew S.; Vasquez, Eleazar; Donehower, Claire

    2017-01-01

    Students of all ages and abilities must be given the opportunity to learn academic skills that can shape future opportunities and careers. Researchers in the mid-1970s and 1980s began teaching young students the processes of computer programming using basic coding skills and limited technology. As technology became more personalized and easily…

  2. Who's Wrong? Tasks Fostering Understanding of Mathematical Relationships in Word Problems in Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savard, Annie; Polotskaia, Elena

    2017-01-01

    Mathematical relationships are crucial elements to consider for learning mathematics. However, too often students pay more attention to the calculations to be done rather than the reasons for doing them. Relying on the relational paradigm to support elementary school students, we proposed two specially designed tasks to help students recognize and…

  3. Project Prevention - A Curriculum Specifically Designed To Prevent Illegal Drug Use among Students with Disabilities: Elementary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devlin, Sandy; And Others

    The Project Prevention curriculum is specifically designed for the prevention of substance abuse among students with disabilities and was piloted in 10 classroom serving students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. This component of the curriculum is intended for elementary students and includes four sections with a total of 81 lesson…

  4. The effects of a sportsmanship curriculum intervention on generalized positive social behavior of urban elementary school students

    PubMed Central

    Sharpe, Tom; Brown, Marty; Crider, Kim

    1995-01-01

    This study evaluated the effects of an elementary physical education curriculum in which development of positive social skills, including leadership and conflict-resolution behaviors, was the primary focus. A second goal was to determine possible generalization effects beyond the primary intervention setting. Students in two urban elementary physical education classes served as subjects, with a third class used as a comparison. The effects of the curriculum intervention were evaluated in the training setting and in the students' regular education classrooms using a multiple baseline across classrooms design. Results showed (a) an immediate increase in student leadership and independent conflict-resolution behaviors, (b) an increase in percentage of class time devoted to activity participation, and (c) decreases in the frequency of student off-task behavior and percentage of class time that students devoted to organizational tasks. Similar changes in student behavior were also observed in the regular classroom settings. PMID:16795872

  5. Early Predictors of Adolescent Depression: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mazza, James J.; Abbott, Robert D.; Fleming, Charles B.; Harachi, Tracy W.; Cortes, Rebecca C.; Park, Jisuk; Haggerty, Kevin P.; Catalano, Richard F.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined the longitudinal relationship of early elementary predictors to adolescent depression 7 years later. The sample consisted of 938 students who have been part of a larger longitudinal study that started in 1993. Data collected from parents, teachers, and youth self-reports on early risk factors when students were in 1st and 2nd…

  6. The Integration of Creative Drama in an Inquiry-Based Elementary Program: The Effect on Student Attitude and Conceptual Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendrix, Rebecca; Eick, Charles; Shannon, David

    2012-11-01

    Creative drama activities designed to help children learn difficult science concepts were integrated into an inquiry-based elementary science program. Children (n = 38) in an upper elementary enrichment program at one primary school were the participants in this action research. The teacher-researcher taught students the Full Option Science System™ (FOSS) modules of sound (fourth grade) and solar energy (fifth grade) with the integration of creative drama activities in treatment classes. A 2 × 2 × (2) Mixed ANOVA was used to examine differences in the learning outcomes and attitudes toward science between groups (drama and non-drama) and grade levels (4th and 5th grades) over time (pre/post). Learning was measured using the tests included with the FOSS modules. A shortened version of the Three Dimension Elementary Science Attitude Survey measured attitudes toward science. Students in the drama treatment group had significantly higher learning gains ( F = 160.2, p < 0.001) than students in the non-drama control group with students in grade four reporting significantly greater learning outcomes ( F = 14.3, p < 0.001) than grade five. There was a significantly statistical decrease in student attitudes toward science ( F = 7.5, p < 0.01), though a small change. Creative drama was an effective strategy to increase science conceptual learning in this group of diverse elementary enrichment students when used as an active extension to the pre-existing inquiry-based science curriculum.

  7. An Examination of Cooperating Teachers' Observations of Their Student Teachers in the Areas of Personal, Teaching, and Musical Skills in the Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Mark R.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the observations of elementary school music teachers regarding the level of preparation of their most recent student teachers at the beginning of their student teaching experience. Twenty-seven elementary music teachers participated in a survey rating the preparedness of their student teacher in…

  8. Longitudinal Predictors of Chinese Word Reading and Spelling among Elementary Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeung, Pui-Sze; Ho, Connie Suk-Han; Wong, Yau-Kai; Chung, Kevin Kien-Hoa; Lo, Lap-Yan

    2013-01-01

    The longitudinal predictive power of four important reading-related skills (phonological skills, rapid naming, orthographic skills, and morphological awareness) to Chinese word reading and writing to dictation (i.e., spelling) was examined in a 3-year longitudinal study among 251 Chinese elementary students. Rapid naming, orthographic skills, and…

  9. Developing Prospective Elementary Teachers' Abilities to Identify Evidence of Student Mathematical Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spitzer, Sandy M.; Phelps, Christine M.; Beyers, James E. R.; Johnson, Delayne Y.; Sieminski, Elizabeth M.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of a classroom intervention on prospective elementary teachers' ability to evaluate evidence of student achievement of mathematical learning goals. The intervention was informed by a framework for teacher education which aims to provide prospective teachers (PTs) with the skills needed to systematically learn…

  10. An Investigation of the Relationship between Learning Styles of Fifth Grade Elementary School Students and Their Music Composition Processes and Products

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marrinan, Nora Marie

    2008-01-01

    This researcher sought to investigate the relationship between perceptual learning modalities of fifth grade elementary school students and their compositional processes and products. Music composition, at the elementary school level, has been studied for many years, as the creation of new music can give students a more active role in learning,…

  11. The Multifaceted Impact of Peer Relations on Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior in Early Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Christopher J.; Bierman, Karen L.

    2013-01-01

    Following a large, diverse sample of 4,096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of 3 aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school: peer dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior.…

  12. Relations among Teacher Expectancies, Student Perceptions of Teacher Oral Feedback, and Student Self-Concept: An Empirical Study in Taiwanese Elementary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Yi-Hsin; Thompson, Marilyn S.

    This research investigated the relationships among teacher expectancy, student perception, and student self-concept. A sample of 1,598 Taiwanese elementary school children in grades 3-6 were administered a school self-concept scale and a measure of their perceptions of teachers' positive and negative oral feedback in academic and nonacademic…

  13. Computer-Assisted Instruction in Early Literacy for African American, Economically Disadvantaged Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shamir, Haya; Feehan, Kathryn; Yoder, Erik

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the efficacy of the Waterford Early Reading program (ERP) for teaching kindergarten and first grade students' early reading concepts. Students attended 3 elementary schools in Alabama. The treatment group used the software program whereas the control group did not use the software. Analyses revealed a significant treatment…

  14. Design Challenges Are "ELL-elementary"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Romero, Nancy Yocom; Slater, Pat; DeCristofano, Carolyn

    2006-01-01

    It has always been a challenge for elementary school teachers to help special needs students and English learners understand challenging, standards-based science content while their students are still developing English language skills. Through their work as pilot teachers for the Engineering is Elementary (EiE) program developed by the Museum of…

  15. Fourth-Grade Students' Motivational Changes in an Elementary Physical Education Running Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xiang, Ping; McBride, Ron E.; Bruene, April

    2006-01-01

    Achievement goal theory and the expectancy-value model of achievement choice were used to examine fourth-grade students' motivational changes in an elementary physical education running program. In fall and spring of the school year, participants (N = 113; 66 boys, 47 girls) completed questionnaires assessing achievement goals, expectancy beliefs,…

  16. A Meta-Analysis of Writing Instruction for Students in the Elementary Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Steve; McKeown, Debra; Kiuhara, Sharlene; Harris, Karen R.

    2012-01-01

    In an effort to identify effective instructional practices for teaching writing to elementary grade students, we conducted a meta-analysis of the writing intervention literature, focusing our efforts on true and quasi-experiments. We located 115 documents that included the statistics for computing an effect size (ES). We calculated an average…

  17. The Effect of a Professional Development Classroom Management Model on At-Risk Elementary Students' Misbehaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reglin, Gary; Akpo-Sanni, Joretta; Losike-Sedimo, Nonofo

    2012-01-01

    The problem in the study was that at-risk elementary school students had too many classroom disruptive behaviors. The purpose was to investigate the effect a Professional Development Classroom Management Model would have on reducing these students' misbehaviors. The study implemented a classroom management model to improve the classroom management…

  18. A Cross-Age Study of Elementary Student Teachers' Scientific Habits of Mind Concerning Socioscientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çalik, Muammer; Turan, Burçin; Coll, Richard Kevin

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we investigated elementary student teachers' scientific habits of mind for a series of socioscientific issues, and compared their views with respect to academic performance and type of programme. The sample consisted of 1,600 student teachers from science education, mathematics education, primary teacher education and social science…

  19. The Relationship among Achievement Goals, Standardized Test Scores, and Elementary Students' Focus in School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Martin H.; Mueller, Christian E.

    2017-01-01

    The study examined whether an academic, social, or both an academic and social focus might relate with achievement goals and academic achievement. Participants were 412 urban elementary school students. Results suggest that students with an academic focus toward school have more mastery-approach and less mastery-avoid achievement goals. Academic…

  20. Increasing Motivation and Engagement in Elementary and Middle School Students through Technology-Supported Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godzicki, Linda; Godzicki, Nicole; Krofel, Mary; Michaels, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    This action research project report was conducted in order to increase motivation and engagement in elementary and middle school students through technology-supported learning environments. The study was conducted from August 27, 2012, through December 14, 2012 with 116 participating students in first-, fourth-, fifth- and eighth-grade classes. To…

  1. An Ethnographic Study of Elementary Teachers', Paraprofessionals', and Students' Language Exchanges during Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aaron-Stanton, Desiree

    2014-01-01

    This ethnographic study of language shows the importance of educators' appropriate use of linguistic, nonlinguistic, and paralinguistic communication techniques when working with elementary students within two classrooms who have behavioral and emotional disorders. This study focused on communication techniques used by teachers and…

  2. The Association between Health Behaviours and Academic Performance in Canadian Elementary School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D.; Kirk, Sara F. L.; Kuhle, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Background: Establishing early healthy eating and physical activity behaviours is critical in supporting children’s long-term health and well-being. The objective of the current paper was to examine the association between health behaviours and academic performance in elementary school students in a school board in Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods: Our population-based study included students in grades 4–6 across 18 schools in a rural school board. Diet and physical activity were assessed through validated instruments. Academic performance measures were obtained from the school board for Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA). Associations between health behaviours and academic performance were assessed using multilevel logistic regression. Results: Students with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours were more likely to have poor academic performance for both ELA and Mathematics compared to students with healthy lifestyle behaviours; associations were statistically significant for diet quality, physical activity, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption for ELA; and breakfast skipping, not being physically active at morning recess, and not being physically active after school for Mathematics. The effects of diet and physical activity were independent of each other and there was no interaction between the two exposures. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that support for healthy behaviours may help to improve academic outcomes of students. PMID:26610537

  3. Predictors of Turkish Elementary Teacher Candidates' Energy Conservation Behaviors: An Approach on Value-Belief-Norm Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin, Elvan

    2013-01-01

    The present study aimed to explain elementary teacher candidates' energy conservation behaviors by using Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) Theory. Participants in this study were 512 students at Faculty of Education from two public universities in Turkey. Of the 512 students, 35.5% were enrolled in the early childhood education program, 30.9% were in the…

  4. Professional development in inquiry-based science for elementary teachers of diverse student groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Okhee; Hart, Juliet E.; Cuevas, Peggy; Enders, Craig

    2004-12-01

    As part of a larger project aimed at promoting science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students, this study has two objectives: (a) to describe teachers' initial beliefs and practices about inquiry-based science and (b) to examine the impact of the professional development intervention (primarily through instructional units and teacher workshops) on teachers' beliefs and practices related to inquiry-based science. The research involved 53 third- and fourth-grade teachers at six elementary schools in a large urban school district. At the end of the school year, teachers reported enhanced knowledge of science content and stronger beliefs about the importance of science instruction with diverse student groups, although their actual practices did not change significantly. Based on the results of this first year of implementation as part of a 3-year longitudinal design, implications for professional development and further research are discussed.

  5. Effects of Cooperative Learning STAD on Mathematical Communication Ability of Elementary School Student

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maelasari, E.; Wahyudin

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the increasing of mathematical communications capability, and difference between students who get STAD cooperative learning and students who receive Direct Instruction. This study is a quasi-experimental study with pretest posttest study design. Subjects in this study in one of the fifth grade elementary school located in Cibeureum District, Kuningan. The research instrument used was a written test mathematical communication skills. The results showed that the improvement of mathematical communication capabilities Direct Instruction students who scored significantly better than students who learned with STAD cooperative learning. By grouping according to the ability of students will show a positive impact on student achievement in the classroom.

  6. Teaching and Learning Science in Authoritative Classrooms: Teachers' Power and Students' Approval in Korean Elementary Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jeong-A.; Kim, Chan-Jong

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to understand interactions in Korean elementary science classrooms, which are heavily influenced by Confucianism. Ethnographic observations of two elementary science teachers' classrooms in Korea are provided. Their classes are fairly traditional teaching, which mean teacher-centered interactions are dominant. To understand the power and approval in science classroom discourse, we have adopted Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Based on CDA, form and function analysis was adopted. After the form and function analysis, all episodes were analyzed in terms of social distance. The results showed that both teachers exercised their power while teaching. However, their classes were quite different in terms of getting approval by students. When a teacher got students' approval, he could conduct the science lesson more effectively. This study highlights the importance of getting approval by students in Korean science classrooms.

  7. Dynamics of teacher-student relationships: stability and change across elementary school and the influence on children's academic success.

    PubMed

    Spilt, Jantine L; Hughes, Jan N; Wu, Jiun-Yu; Kwok, Oi-Man

    2012-01-01

    This study modeled teacher-student relationship trajectories throughout elementary school to predict gains in achievement in an ethnic-diverse sample of 657 academically at-risk students (mean age = 6.57 years, SD = .39). Teacher reports of warmth and conflict were collected in Grades 1-5. Achievement was tested in Grades 1 and 6. For conflict, low-stable (normative), low-increasing, high-declining, and high-stable trajectories were found. For warmth, high-declining (normative) and low-increasing patterns were found. Children with early behavioral, academic, or social risks were underrepresented in the normative trajectory groups. Chronic conflict was most strongly associated with underachievement. Rising conflict but not declining Conflict coincided with underachievement. The probability of school failure increased as a function of the timing and length of time children were exposed to relational adversity. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  8. Managing Student Behavior with Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams: An Observational Study in Early Elementary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caldarella, Paul; Williams, Leslie; Hansen, Blake D.; Wills, Howard

    2015-01-01

    Comprehensive evidence-based interventions are needed to help early childhood educators manage challenging student behaviors. One such intervention, class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT), is a multi-tiered behavioral intervention program based on positive behavior support principles, including four main elements: (a) teaching…

  9. Growing Misconception of Technology: Investigation of Elementary Students' Recognition of and Reasoning about Technological Artifacts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Firat, Mehmet

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge of technology is an educational goal of science education. A primary way of increasing technology literacy in a society is to develop students' conception of technology starting from their elementary school years. However, there is a lack of research on student recognition of and reasoning about technology and technological artifacts. In…

  10. Increasing Reading Motivation in Elementary and Middle School Students through the Use of Multiple Intelligences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buschick, Mary E.; Shipton, Tracey A.; Winner, Laurie M.; Wise, Melissa D.

    2007-01-01

    The problem is that with each passing year it becomes increasingly harder to maintain student motivation to read and improve reading comprehension. The purpose of this project was to increase reading motivation in elementary and middle school students through the use of multiple intelligences. This project was conducted by four teacher researchers…

  11. The Effects of Computerized and Traditional Ear Training Programs on Aural Skills of Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kariuki, Patrick N.; Ross, Zachary R.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computerized and traditional ear training methods on the aural skills abilities of elementary music students. The sample consisted of 20 students who were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group was taught for five sessions using computerized…

  12. The Metaphors That Elementary School Students Use to Describe the Term "Teacher"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karadag, Ruhan; Gültekin, Mehmet

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate metaphors that elementary school 5th and 8th grade students (N = 567) use in order to describe the term "teacher". The data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions, and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. Content analysis technique was…

  13. Project Help. An Elementary Curriculum Guide Designed to Help Students Help Themselves.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cranston School Dept., RI.

    This two-part curriculum is designed to teach elementary students basic life skills that will enable them to assume greater responsibility for themselves. Part 1, the primary curriculum, is designed for grades 3 and 4. Five units of instruction are included in the primary curriculum: home management, foods, personal cleanliness, sewing, and…

  14. Effects of Video Self-Modeling on Inappropriate Behavior in Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwan, Gerald R.; Holzworth, William A.

    This investigation attempts to determine whether or not elementary school student's inappropriate classroom behavior can be altered through the use of a video self-modeling procedure (VSM). The frequency of inappropriate behavior was observed from videotapes and recorded for twenty six subjects, thirteen of whom were placed in a VSM group and…

  15. Functions of Code-Switching among Iranian Advanced and Elementary Teachers and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Momenian, Mohammad; Samar, Reza Ghafar

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports on the findings of a study carried out on the advanced and elementary teachers' and students' functions and patterns of code-switching in Iranian English classrooms. This concept has not been adequately examined in L2 (second language) classroom contexts than in outdoor natural contexts. Therefore, besides reporting on the…

  16. Increasing Elementary School Teachers' Awareness of Gender Inequity in Student Computer Usage

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luongo, Nicole

    2012-01-01

    This study was designed to increase gender equity awareness in elementary school teachers with respect to student computer and technology usage. Using professional development methods with a group of teachers, the writer attempted to help them become more aware of gender bias in technology instruction. An analysis of the data revealed that…

  17. Symbols and Scrolls: Teaching Elementary Students about Historic Writing. Pull-out 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Lois M.

    1999-01-01

    Describes a unit for elementary students on the history and technology of writing from ancient to medieval times. Includes a contemporary writing and print exercise, an ancient and medieval writing exercise, a research activity on the evolution of writing, a biography study, a fine arts exercise, and a community survey. Addresses the unit…

  18. The Development of a Mathematics Self-Report Inventory for Turkish Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akin, Ayça; Güzeller, Cem Oktay; Evcan, Sinem Sezer

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the current study is to develop a mathematics self-report inventory (MSRI) to measure Turkish elementary students' mathematics expectancy beliefs and task values based on the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation. In Study-1 (n = 1,315), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis are used to evaluate the…

  19. Progression of Chinese Students' Creative Imagination from Elementary Through High School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Fujun; Li, Xiuju; Zhang, Huiliang; Wang, Lihui

    2012-09-01

    For almost a century, researchers have studied creative imagination, most typically that of children. This article reports on a study of the development of creative imagination of Chinese youths and its relation to the educational environment. Data consisted of 4,162 students from grades 4 through 12. Findings showed that students' creative imagination increased as the grade in school increased from grades 4 through 11, but decreased slightly at grade 12. Students' creative imagination was lower in elementary school than that in middle school. The pace of development was also different in different stages. In different grades, youths used different ways to express their imagination. Students of 'excellent' academic performance had the highest creative imagination, followed by students of 'fairly good', 'medium' and 'poor' academic performance. Student-centred teaching methods were associated with higher creative imagination. Students whose teachers had a more supportive attitude showed better creative imagination. Finally, taking part in science-related competitions and frequently visiting science venues were related to the development of students' creative imagination. Some implications and recommendations for development of students' creative imagination are also proposed.

  20. The effects of student-level and classroom-level factors on elementary students' science achievement in five countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaya, Sibel

    The interest in raising levels of achievement in math and science has led to a focus on investigating the factors that shape achievement in these subjects (Lamb & Fullarton, 2002) as well as understanding how these factors operate across countries (Baker, Fabrega, Galindo, & Mishook, 2004). The current study examined the individual student factors and classroom factors on fourth grade science achievement within and across five countries. Guided by the previous school learning models, the elements of students' science learning were categorized as student-level and classroom-level factors. The student-level factors included gender, self-confidence in science, and home resources. The classroom-level factors included teacher characteristics, instructional variables and classroom composition. Results for the United States and four other countries, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and Scotland were reported. Multilevel effects of student and classroom variables were examined through Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 fourth grade dataset. The outcome variable was the TIMSS 2003 science score. Overall, the results of this study showed that selected student background characteristics were consistently related to elementary science achievement in countries investigated. At the student-level, higher levels of home resources and self-confidence and at the classroom-level, higher levels of class mean home resources yielded higher science scores on the TIMSS 2003. In general, teacher and instructional variables were minimally related to science achievement. There was evidence of positive effects of teacher support in the U.S. and Singapore. The emphasis on science inquiry was positively related to science achievement in Singapore and negatively related in the U.S. and Australia. Experimental studies that investigate the impacts of teacher and instructional factors on elementary science achievement are

  1. The roles of engineering notebooks in shaping elementary engineering student discourse and practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hertel, Jonathan D.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Kelly, Gregory J.

    2017-06-01

    Engineering design challenges offer important opportunities for students to learn science and engineering knowledge and practices. This study examines how students' engineering notebooks across four units of the curriculum Engineering is Elementary (EiE) support student work during design challenges. Through educational ethnography and discourse analysis, transcripts of student talk and action were created and coded around the uses of notebooks in the accomplishment of engineering tasks. Our coding process identified two broad categories of roles of the notebooks: they scaffold student activity and support epistemic practices of engineering. The study showed the importance of prompts to engage students in effective uses of writing, the roles the notebook assumes in the students' small groups, and the ways design challenges motivate children to write and communicate.

  2. The Relationship between Student Self-Regulation Strategies and Increased Student Achievement: A Study on How the Explicit Integration of Self-Regulation Strategies Impacts Student Reading Achievement in the Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egan, Patti A.

    2017-01-01

    Student ownership in learning is a topic that has become quite prevalent in recent years. While emphasis has grown on the importance of active student involvement in learning, integration of student self-regulation strategies is often absent in elementary classrooms. A paradigm shift that encourages active involvement of students in the learning…

  3. How Teachers Inadvertently Reinforce Negative Behavior of Elementary School Students through Negative Communications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frederick, Barbara

    This paper reviews ways in which teachers inadvertently reinforce negative behavior of elementary school students through negative verbal or nonverbal communication. Discussion first points out differences between nonverbal and verbal communication, and then focuses on consequences of negative communication for children. Special attention is given…

  4. Student-teacher relationship quality and academic adjustment in upper elementary school: the role of student personality.

    PubMed

    Zee, Marjolein; Koomen, Helma M Y; Van der Veen, Ineke

    2013-08-01

    This study tested a theoretical model considering students' personality traits as predictors of student-teacher relationship quality (closeness, conflict, and dependency), the effects of student-teacher relationship quality on students' math and reading achievement, and the mediating role of students' motivational beliefs on the association between student-teacher relationship quality and achievement in upper elementary school. Surveys and tests were conducted among a nationally representative Dutch sample of 8545 sixth-grade students and their teachers in 395 schools. Structural equation models were used to test direct and indirect effects. Support was found for a model that identified conscientiousness and agreeableness as predictors of close, nonconflictual relationships, and neuroticism as a predictor of dependent and conflictual relationships. Extraversion was associated with higher levels of closeness and conflict, and autonomy was only associated with lower levels of dependency. Students' motivational beliefs mediated the effects of dependency and student-reported closeness on reading and math achievement. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Narrative and orthographic writing abilities in Elementary School students: characteristics and correlations.

    PubMed

    Bigarelli, Juliana Faleiros Paolucci; Ávila, Clara Regina Brandão de

    2011-09-01

    To characterize, according to the school grade and the type of school (private or public), the performance on orthographic and narrative text production in the writing of Elementary School students with good academic performance, and to investigate the relationships between these variables. Participants were 160 children with ages between 8 and 12 years, enrolled in 4th to 7th grades Elementary School. Their written production was assessed using words and pseudowords dictation, and autonomous writing of a narrative text. Public school students had a higher number of errors in the words and pseudowords dictation, improving with education level. The occurrence of complete and incomplete utterances was similar in both public and private schools. However, 4th graders presented more incomplete statements than the other students. A higher number of overall microstructure and macrostructure productions occurred among private school students. The essential macrostructures were most frequently found in the later school grades. The higher the total number of words in the autonomous written production, the higher the occurrence of linguistic variables and the better the narrative competence. There was a weak negative correlation between the number of wrong words and the total of events in text production. Positive and negative correlations (from weak to good) were observed between different orthographic, linguistic and narrative production variables in both private and public schools. Private school students present better orthographic and narrative performance than public school students. Schooling progression influences the performance in tasks of words' writing and text production, and the orthographic abilities influence the quality of textual production. Different writing abilities, such as orthographic performance and use of linguistic elements and narrative structures, are mutually influenced in writing production.

  6. A Comparative Study of Turkish Elementary and Science Education Major Students' Knowledge Levels at the Popular Biotechnological Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turkmen, Lutfullah; Darcin, Emine Selcen

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge levels of popular biotechnological issues of Turkish science and elementary teacher candidates. A questionnaire was administered during 2006-2007 school term to 336 students pursuing their education in the departments of science and elementary education in two Turkish universities. The…

  7. Elementary School Student Burnout Scale for Grades 6-8: A Study of Validity and Reliability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aypay, Ayse

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop an "Elementary School Student Burnout Scale for Grades 6-8". The study group included 691 students out of 10 schools in Eskisehir. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were conducted on the data (Burnout stem from school activities, burnout stem from family, feeling of…

  8. Predictors of Sociometric Status for Low Socioeconomic Status Elementary Mainstreamed Students with and without Special Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baydik, Berrin; Bakkaloglu, Hatice

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to compare the sociometric status of low socioeconomic status elementary school students with and without special needs and investigate the effects of different variables (gender, age, physical appearance, social skills, behavior problems, and academic competence) on students' sociometric status. Elementary…

  9. Place-based Learning About Climate with Elementary GLOBE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L. S.; Harte, T.; Stanitski, D.; Taylor, J.

    2017-12-01

    Place-based education - helping students make connections between themselves, their community, and their local environment - is an important tool to help young learners understand their regional climate and start to learn about climate and environmental change. Elementary GLOBE storybooks and learning activities allow opportunities for place-based education instructional strategies about climate. In particular, two modules in the Elementary GLOBE unit - Seasons and Climate - provide opportunities for students to explore their local climate and environment. The storybooks and activities also make connections to other parts of elementary curriculum, such as arts, geography, and math. Over the long term, place-based education can also encourage students to be stewards of their local environment. A strong sense of place may help students to see themselves as stakeholders in their community and its resilience. In places that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate and environmental change and the economic, social, and environmental tradeoffs of community decisions, helping young students developing a sense of place and to see the connection between Earth science, local community, and their lives can have a lasting impact on how a community evolves for decades to come. Elementary GLOBE was designed to help elementary teachers (i.e., grades K-4) integrate Earth system science topics into their curriculum as they teach literacy skills to students. This suite of instructional materials includes seven modules. Each module contains a science-based storybook and learning activities that support the science content addressed in the storybooks. Elementary GLOBE modules feature air quality, climate, clouds, Earth system, seasons, soil, and water. New eBooks allow students to read stories on computers or tablets, with the option of listening to each story with an audio recording. A new Elementary GLOBE Teacher Implementation Guide, published in 2017, provides

  10. Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Resilience Measure in Greek Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nearchou, Finiki A.; Stogiannidou, Ariadni; Kiosseoglou, Grigoris

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to adapt the Resilience Youth Development Module (RYDM) and assess its psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and convergent validity in Greek elementary students. Participants (N = 346) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including the RYDM, School Connectedness Scale, and Strengths and…

  11. "It's What We Use as a Community": Exploring Students' STEM Characterizations In Two Montessori Elementary Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szostkowski, Alaina Hopkins

    Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education promises to enhance elementary students' engagement in science and related fields and to cultivate their problem-solving abilities. While STEM has become an increasingly popular reform initiative, it is still developing within the Montessori education community. There is limited research on STEM teaching and learning in Montessori classrooms, particularly from student perspectives. Previous studies suggest productive connections between reform-based pedagogies in mainstream science education and the Montessori method. Greater knowledge of this complementarity, and student perspectives on STEM, may benefit both Montessori and non-Montessori educators. This instrumental case study of two elementary classrooms documented student characterizations of aspects of STEM in the context of integrated STEM instruction over three months in the 2016-2017 school year. Findings show that the Montessori environment played an important role, and that students characterized STEM in inclusive, agentive, connected, helpful, creative, and increasingly critical ways. Implications for teaching and future research offer avenues to envision STEM education more holistically by leveraging the moral and humanistic aspects of Montessori philosophy.

  12. The Multifaceted Impact of Peer Relations on Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior in Early Elementary School

    PubMed Central

    Powers, Christopher J.; Bierman, Karen L.

    2013-01-01

    Following a large, diverse sample of 4096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of three aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school – peer-dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior. Teachers rated child aggressive-disruptive behavior in first and third grade, and peer relations were assessed during second grade. Results indicated that heightened classroom aggressive-disruptive behavior levels were related to proximal peer relations, including an increased likelihood of having aggressive friends and lower levels of peer-dislike of aggressive-disruptive children. Controlling for first grade aggressive-disruptive behavior, the three second grade peer experiences each made unique contributions to third grade child aggressive-disruptive behavior. These findings replicate and extend a growing body of research documenting the multifaceted nature of peer influence on aggressive-disruptive behavior in early elementary school. They highlight the importance of the classroom ecology and proximal peer relations in the socialization of aggressive-disruptive behavior. PMID:22545840

  13. The Elementary School Classroom. The Study of the Built Environment Through Student and Teacher Responses. The Elementary School and Its Population, Phase 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Artinian, Vrej-Armen

    An extensive investigation of elementary school classrooms was conducted through the collection and statistical analysis of student and teacher responses to questions concerning the educational environment. Several asepcts of the classroom are discussed, including the spatial, thermal, luminous, and aural environments. Questions were organized so…

  14. A Connected Generation? Digital Inequalities in Elementary and High School Students According to Age and Socioeconomic Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collin, Simon; Karsenti, Thierry; Ndimubandi, Alexis; Saffari, Hamid

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this article was to better understand the relationship between students' age and socioeconomic level, and its influence on students' digital uses. We conducted a quantitative study of 401 elementary and high school students in Quebec. Four independent variables were initially selected: two related to age (actual age and education…

  15. The Contributions of Orthographic Processing Factors to the Spelling Achievement of Middle-Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radaj, Jane M.

    2013-01-01

    The study examined the contributions of "orthographic processing" factors to the spelling achievement of typically developing middle-elementary students. The researcher framed orthographic processing as a multilinguistic, multidimensional construct involving process factors related to procedural orthographic operations and product…

  16. Effects of the "Behavior Education Program" (BEP) on Office Discipline Referrals of Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawken, Leanne S.; Sandra MacLeod, K.; Rawlings, Linda

    2007-01-01

    The "Behavior Education Program" (BEP; Crone et al., 2004) is a modified check-in, check-out intervention implemented with students who are at risk for more severe problem behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the BEP on problem behavior with 12 elementary school students. Results indicated that the BEP was…

  17. Promoting Elementary Students' Epistemology of Science through Computer-Supported Knowledge-Building Discourse and Epistemic Reflection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Feng; Chan, Carol K. K.

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the role of computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection in promoting elementary-school students' scientific epistemology and science learning. The participants were 39 Grade 5 students who were collectively pursuing ideas and inquiry for knowledge advance using Knowledge Forum (KF) while studying a…

  18. Sources of Self-Efficacy: An Investigation of Elementary School Students in France

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joet, Gwenaelle; Usher, Ellen L.; Bressoux, Pascal

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of Bandura's (1997) theorized sources of self-efficacy on the academic and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs of 3rd-grade elementary school students (N = 395) in France, to examine whether classroom context might explain a significant portion of the variation in self-efficacy, and to assess…

  19. The effectiveness of a popular science promotion program on nanotechnology for elementary school students in I-Lan City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Show-Yu; Wu, Ming-Ta; Cho, Ya-I.; Chen, Hui-Huang

    2015-01-01

    Background:Nanotechnology education has become an urgent priority to nurture skilled human resources for the rapidly developing nanotechnology-related industries. The promotion of popular science education focusing on nanotechnology is an ideal approach to bridge the gaps in formal curricula, and to stimulate curiosity about and interest in nanotechnology among schoolchildren. Purpose:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Nanotechnology-based Popular Science Education Promotion and Teaching (NPSEPT) program through camp activity that was implemented in elementary schools in I-Lan City, Taiwan. Program description:To create a competitive advantage, a human resources development program was implemented as one of the nanotechnology incubation projects in Taiwan and focused on developing an appropriately-skilled professional workforce as well as promoting popular science education. Sample:The volunteer research participants were 323 sixth grade students in four elementary schools in I-Lan City, Taiwan, who were evaluated at the beginning and the end of the nanotechnology-based popular science promotion camp activity. Design and methods:A research tool called the 'NPSEPT test' was designed specifically for this study and was approved by experts who evaluated its content and face validity. The questionnaire was divided into three aspects: 'Nanophenomena in the natural world'; 'Nanomaterials and their scaling effects'; and 'Definition, characteristics, and applications of nanotechnology.' The effectiveness of learning among the students was analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc comparison. Results:The results of the three-part 'NPSEPT test' revealed that NPSEPT significantly advanced nanotechnology learning performance and outcomes among students in the four participating elementary schools. Of the 15 questions included in the NPSEPT test, positive change for more than 30

  20. Testimony of Gina Adams, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute. Before the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Hearing on "Improving Early Childhood Development Policies and Practices"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Gina

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the testimony of Gina Adams before the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Hearing on "Improving Early Childhood Development Policies and Practices." This testimony was presented to the House Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives last March 19, 2009. She talks about how…

  1. The Sustained Impact of Teacher Encouragement on Elementary Students' Vegetable Snack Consumption: Initial Findings from a Wisconsin Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamelske, Eric M.; Vernon, Erin

    2018-01-01

    Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of teacher encouragement on elementary school student vegetable snack consumption. Methods: Twelve Wisconsin elementary school teachers were randomly assigned different levels of encouragement procedures during vegetable snack time. The consumption levels of 218 students…

  2. Identification of Parent-Child Interaction Characteristics of High and Low Achieving Elementary Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Portes, Pedro R.; And Others

    The present study was designed to identify parent-child interaction patterns that might differentiate bright from below average elementary students in order to test the hypothesis that environmental processes related to regulation of executive processes influence both children's learning and developmental level. Thirty-two mother-child dyads (16…

  3. Preventing Tobacco and Alcohol Use among Elementary School Students through Life Skills Training.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Botvin, Gilbert J.; Griffin, Kenneth W.; Paul, Elizabeth; Macaulay, Araxi P.

    2003-01-01

    Study examined effectiveness of a substance abuse prevention program in preventing tobacco and alcohol use among elementary school students in grades 3 through 6. Program teaches social resistance skills and general personal and social competence skills. Findings indicate a school-based substance abuse prevention approach previously found to be…

  4. Effects of a Year Long Supplemental Reading Intervention for Students with Reading Difficulties in Fourth Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wanzek, Jeanne; Petscher, Yaacov; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Rivas, Brenna; Jones, Francesca; Kent, Shawn; Schatschneider, Christopher; Mehta, Paras

    2017-01-01

    Research examining effective reading interventions for students with reading difficulties in the upper elementary grades is limited relative to the information available for the early elementary grades. In the current study, we examined the effects of a multicomponent reading intervention for students with reading comprehension difficulties. We…

  5. Using Student Video Cases to Assess Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Engineering Teaching Responsiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalvi, Tejaswini; Wendell, Kristen

    2017-10-01

    Our study addresses the need for new approaches to prepare novice elementary teachers to teach both science and engineering, and for new tools to measure how well those approaches are working. This in particular would inform the teacher educators of the extent to which novice teachers are developing expertise in facilitating their students' engineering design work. One important dimension to measure is novice teachers' abilities to notice the substance of student thinking and to respond in productive ways. This teacher noticing is particularly important in science and engineering education, where students' initial, idiosyncratic ideas and practices influence the likelihood that particular instructional strategies will help them learn. This paper describes evidence of validity and reliability for the Video Case Diagnosis (VCD) task, a new instrument for measuring pre-service elementary teachers' engineering teaching responsiveness. To complete the VCD, participants view a 6-min video episode of children solving an engineering design problem, describe in writing what they notice about the students' science ideas and engineering practices, and propose how a teacher could productively respond to the students. The rubric for scoring VCD responses allowed two independent scorers to achieve inter-rater reliability. Content analysis of the video episode, systematic review of literature on science and engineering practices, and solicitation of external expert educator responses establish content validity for VCD. Field test results with three different participant groups who have different levels of engineering education experience offer evidence of construct validity.

  6. The Role of Struggle in Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Experiences as Students and Approaches to Facilitating Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Rachel E.; Kittleson, Julie M.

    2012-01-01

    Science education researchers are concerned with preparing pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) to teach in ways that support students to learn science in a meaningful way. Preparing elementary teachers to teach science is complicated given that they tend to be generalists and may not have the same experience with science as secondary teachers.…

  7. Departmentalize Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Tak Cheung; Jarman, Delbert

    2004-01-01

    In elementary schools today, most students receive their education in a single classroom from one teacher who is responsible for teaching language arts, social studies, math, and science. The self-contained classroom organization is predicated on the assumption that an elementary school teacher is a Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades who is equally…

  8. A Collaborative Approach for Elementary Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, George D.; Landel, Carolyn C.

    2007-01-01

    The authors question whether elementary students will have access to effective science and mathematics instruction within the current structure of elementary schools, in which each classroom teachers is expected to possess the expertise to teach all subjects well. They review research showing that good teachers are the key to student achievement…

  9. Contemporary Issues in Elementary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Policies Commission, Washington, DC.

    Generalized views of the role of the elementary school in a democratic society and of the uniqueness of each student have implications for policy in improving elementary education. Owing to the youth of its clientele, the elementary school has an intense impact. No school so greatly affects so many Americans. It is a democratic institution…

  10. A Project-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Physics for Pre-Service Elementary School Teacher Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldstein, Olzan

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the impact of the project-based learning (PBL) approach on learning and teaching physics from the perspective of pre-service elementary school teacher education students and an instructor. This approach promoted meaningful learning (mainly in the scope of projects), higher motivation, and active involvement of students in…

  11. Using Cover, Copy, and Compare Spelling with and without Timing for Elementary Students with Behavior Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darrow, Danette; McLaughlin, T. F.; Derby, K. Mark; Johnson, Kathy

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cover, copy, and compare (CCC) procedures on spelling performance with two students. The participants were two elementary students enrolled in a self-contained behavior intervention classroom. A multiple baseline design across participants was employed to evaluate the effects of CCC…

  12. Latina/o Undergraduate Students Mentoring Latina/o Elementary Students: A Borderlands Analysis of Shifting Identities and First-Year Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernal, Dolores Delgado; Aleman, Enrique, Jr.; Garavito, Andrea

    2009-01-01

    This article examines the experiences of first-year Latina/o undergraduates at a predominantly white institution. Through a borderlands analysis, the authors explore how these students describe their experiences participating in an ethnic studies course and mentoring Latina/o elementary schoolchildren. The authors find that these experiences…

  13. Elementary school students' perceptions of stuttering: A mixed model approach.

    PubMed

    Panico, James; Healey, E Charles; Knopik, Jennifer

    2015-09-01

    Past research studies have focused on perceptions of stuttering by various age groups and only a few have examined how children react to a peer who stutters. All of these studies used a quantitative analysis but only one included a qualitative analysis of elementary school age children's responses to stuttering. The aim of this study was to further explore the perceptions of elementary school students toward a peer who stutters using both quantitative and qualitative analyses of three levels of stuttering. Participants included 88 elementary school children between 8 and 12 years of age. Each participant viewed one of four audiovisual samples of a peer producing fluent speech and mild, moderate, and severe simulated stuttering. Each participant then rated five Likert statements and answered three open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that negative ratings and the percentage of negative comments increased as the frequency of stuttering increased. However, the children in this study indicated that they were comfortable listening to stuttering and would be comfortable making friends with the peer who stutters. The findings of this study together with past research in this area should help clinicians and their clients appreciate the range of social and emotional reactions peers have of a child who stutters. After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (a) discuss past research regarding children's perceptions of stuttering; (b) summarize the need to explore the perceptions of elementary-aged children toward a peer who stutters; (c) describe the major quantitative and qualitative findings of children's perceptions of stuttering; and (d) discuss the need for disseminating more information about stuttering to children and teachers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Does contact by a family nurse practitioner decrease early school absence?

    PubMed

    Kerr, Jill; Price, Marva; Kotch, Jonathan; Willis, Stephanie; Fisher, Michael; Silva, Susan

    2012-02-01

    Chronic early school absence (preschool through third grade) is associated with school failure. The presence of school nurses may lead to fewer absences, and nurse practitioners in school-based health centers (SBHCs) can facilitate a healthier population resulting in improved attendance. Efforts to get students back to school are unexplored in nursing literature. This article describes a nursing intervention to decrease early school absence in two elementary schools K-3 (N = 449) and a Head Start program (N = 130). The Head Start Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) contacted families of chronically and excessively absent students by telephone, clinic visit at school, or home visit. The aggregate percentage attendance was evaluated by grades (preschool to third grade), schools (Head Start, Elementary Schools 1 and 2), and grades and schools and compared with publicly available school district aggregate data. There were statistically significant increases in attendance from Year 1 to Year 2 at p < .05 at the elementary level but not at the Head Start level. Student demographics, types of contacts, absence reasons (including sick child), and medical diagnoses are described.

  15. The Integration of Creative Drama in an Inquiry-Based Elementary Program: The Effect on Student Attitude and Conceptual Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendrix, Rebecca; Eick, Charles; Shannon, David

    2012-01-01

    Creative drama activities designed to help children learn difficult science concepts were integrated into an inquiry-based elementary science program. Children (n = 38) in an upper elementary enrichment program at one primary school were the participants in this action research. The teacher-researcher taught students the Full Option Science…

  16. Increasing Prevalence of US Elementary School Gardens, but Disparities Reduce Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students.

    PubMed

    Turner, Lindsey; Eliason, Meghan; Sandoval, Anna; Chaloupka, Frank J

    2016-12-01

    We examined the prevalence of school garden programs at US public elementary schools. The study examined time trends, demographic and regional disparities, and associations with related programs such as farm-to-school. Annual surveys were gathered from nationally representative samples of elementary schools between 2006-2007 and 2013-2014. Annual samples ranged from 553 to 748 schools. The prevalence of gardens increased steadily from 11.9% in 2006-2007 to 31.2% in 2013-2014 (p < .001). In multivariate logistic regressions the prevalence of garden programs varied significantly by school characteristics. Gardens were more prevalent in the west than in other regions. Gardens were less prevalent at schools serving higher proportions of lower-income students, and were more prevalent at urban schools than in suburbs, towns, or rural areas. Gardens were more common at schools with farm-to-school programs. Gardens also were associated with offering formal classroom-based nutrition education. Garden programs in elementary schools have increased over time, but there is room for wider implementation, particularly at schools serving lower-income students. Given the role of childhood in establishing food preferences and dietary consumption habits, such programs are important and can reinforce the messages imparted through nutrition education. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  17. Exploring the Role of Flow Experience, Learning Performance and Potential Behavior Clusters in Elementary Students' Game-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Lin, Yi-Chun; Hou, Huei-Tse

    2016-01-01

    Well-designed game-based learning can provide students with an innovative environment that may enhance students' motivation and engagement in learning and thus improve their learning performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among elementary school students' flow experience and learning performances. We also…

  18. Music Instruction for Elementary Students with Moderate to Severe Cognitive Impairments: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salvador, Karen

    2015-01-01

    Although elementary general music specialists teach students with a variety of exceptionalities every day (Chen, 2007; Hahn, 2010; Hoffman, 2011), many music teacher preparation programs do not adequately address exceptionality (Salvador, 2010). Articles regarding "strategies that work" appear perennially in the professional literature…

  19. Motivational Orientations and Psychological Needs in EFL Learning among Elementary School Students in Japan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carreira, Junko Matsuzaki

    2012-01-01

    This study examined Japanese elementary school students' motivational orientations for learning English as a foreign language (EFL) and fundamental psychological needs from a self-determination theory perspective, exploring the relations between motivational orientations (e.g., intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation,…

  20. Understanding Student Stress and Coping in Elementary School: A Mixed-Method, Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sotardi, Valerie A.

    2016-01-01

    This mixed-method, longitudinal study examined daily school stress and coping strategies of elementary schoolchildren in the United States. Students (n = 65) between the ages of 7 and 11 years reported daily school stress measures for 8 weeks and completed individual stress and coping interviews. Results highlight critical relations between…